You might have heard recently that Minnesota is experiencing an ongoing outbreak of measles cases in mostly unvaccinated children. The Minnesota Department of Health reported last week that there have been 51 cases, only two of which have had adequate immunization against the virus. The outbreak is likely to continue for some time.
This clearly demonstrates the risk to individuals and communities from vaccine misconceptions. It also sheds light on the harmful actions of anti-vaccine groups when they target vulnerable communities. Here’s what you need to know:
Where? The outbreak is in three counties around Minneapolis, mostly in Hennepin County which has a high concentration of Somali Americans.
Why? This is the big story here. Many public health officials have warned for years that an outbreak was becoming more likely due to misinformation targeting the Somali community in the U.S. and U.K. Some Somali parents have had difficulty dealing when some of their children were diagnosed with autism.
READ MORE AT: http://www.philly.com/philly/health/kids-families/Measles-outbreak-in-Minnesota-What-can-we-learn-from-it.html