Minnesota health officials have counted 15 measles cases in unvaccinated children this year after none all of last year.

The 15 include three newly confirmed cases this week in Ramsey, Hennepin and Anoka counties, two of which required hospitalization.

The sick children have no direct links to each other and have not traveled, so health officials are concerned about the spread of measles in the community.

The state is working with local health departments to directly notify people who may have been exposed to measles, but health officials warn that anyone who is not vaccinated against measles could be at risk and should watch for symptoms.

Initial symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes followed by a rash that typically spreads from head to rest of the body. It generally takes eight to 12 days from exposure to develop the first symptoms. The illness can spread by coughing, sneezing, or being in the same room as someone who has measles.

If symptoms arise, MDH asks that people call a health care provider before going to a clinic to avoid accidental exposure.

Measles cases are increasing in the United States and other countries, and the unvaccinated are most at risk.

“Measles spreads easily, and it finds those who are vulnerable,” Jessica-Hancock Allen, infectious disease division director at MDH, said in a news release. “That is why it is important for families to make sure their children are up to date on their immunizations to protect them from this potentially serious disease.”

Vaccination rates fell during the coronavirus pandemic.

Experts recommend children get two doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine: one at 12-15 months of age and the second between ages 4 and 6.

To view upcoming immunization clinics in the metro area, visit:

Hennepin County: Childhood Immunizations
Ramsey County: Immunization Clinic

More information about the virus can be found on the MDH Measles website.

Minnesota tallied 22 measles cases in 2022. There were 75 confirmed cases in 2017 amid an outbreak in the Somali-American community that started in Hennepin County.

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