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DOH Urges Vaccination Following Confirmed Measles Cases

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- After three confirmed measles cases since August, the Minnesota Department of Health is asking people to make sure their families are vaccinated.

In each of the cases, a young child had traveled overseas and came back with measles.

The most recent case was confirmed last Monday, when a 2-year-old returned to the Twin Cities after visiting the Middle East.

The Department of Health has been contacting people who sat near the child on the flight.

"Measles can be a very severe, severe illness," said Kris Ehresmann, director of infectious disease at the Minnesota Department of Health.

And what concerns the Department of Health is that it's airborne -- a simple sneeze can allow it to spread quickly.

"It's highly infectious, and an individual who has measles, if they go in an air space, the virus can hang in the air for an hour or more," Ehresmann said.

That puts air travelers at risk. Right now, large measles outbreaks are happening around the world, in parts of Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Last week, a 2-year-old Ramsey County child, who was partially vaccinated, contracted the illness after visiting the Middle East. While returning home, the child was on a connecting flight from Chicago to MSP.

"In the course of their return flight, they were infectious and so we were reaching out to individuals who were on those flights and may have had an exposure," Ehresmann said.

Symptoms include a fever and a rash. Children who have not received two doses of the MMR vaccine are most at risk.

Last year, Minnesota saw the largest measles outbreak since 1990. In 1990, there were 460 cases and 3 deaths. Last year there were 75 cases and no deaths. That's why the Department of Health wants people to stay vigilant by getting vaccinated.

"Although a majority of the population is vaccinated, we do have pockets where people are not protected. And those pockets -- if it's introduced -- can lead to widespread disease," Ehresmann said.

Health officials recommend children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine.

The first at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second at 4 to 6 years of age.

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