Minnesota and Wisconsin lag behind in MMR vaccination: CDC report

Measles cases spike seen in Minnesota

A measles outbreak across Minnesota has led to cases spiking in Hennepin County, leading health officials to release new guidelines regarding vaccinations.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minnesota and Wisconsin are lagging behind almost every state in the United States in terms of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations among kindergartners, a new report shows.

What to know

According to a CDC report, only Idaho and Alaska have worse MMR vaccination rates among kindergartners than Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Currently, of 66,032 surveyed kindergartners in Minnesota, only 87% have received both MMR doses, while only 84.8% of kindergartners in Wisconsin (62,028 surveyed) have their two doses.

Alaska is slightly worse than Wisconsin at 84.3%, while Idaho is dead last in the nation at 79.6% of both MMR doses.

Context

This year, Minnesota has dealt with an outbreak of measles cases. Most cases have been reported in Hennepin County and infections have been especially high among the Somali-American population. Even more concerning, most cases aren't associated with travel but rather contracted locally.

Because of the outbreak, Minnesota has changed its guidance for parents, with health officials urging parents to get their children their second shot sooner.

What are they saying?

In a news release, Wisconsin health officials reacted to the CDC data.

"While most Wisconsinites are protecting their children with vaccines, we are below where we need to be to protect our state against preventable outbreaks," said State Health Officer and Division of Public Health Administrator Paula Tran in a provided statement. "Vaccines are proven to be one of the safest and most effective ways each of us can prevent serious illness and death due to diseases. When the majority of people are vaccinated, it is much harder for that disease to spread in a household, a classroom, or across a community."