80 Measles Cases in Minnesota, Most in Unvaccinated Children
State health officials report the highest annual case count since 1990, with 57 of the infections clustered in Todd County.
By Yasmin Farouk ·
Minnesota has recorded 80 measles cases in 2026, a total the state has not reached in a single year since 1990, health officials said Thursday, Oct. 29. The count carries practical consequences for families: 71% of the people infected are under 18, and all but two of the 80 have not received two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, according to the Department of Health.
Fifty-seven of the cases sit in one place. The department identified a measles cluster in Todd County in central Minnesota, where those 57 infections were recorded. The remaining 23 are spread across the state.
The department is asking residents to check health records for themselves and their children. Commissioner Dr. Brooke Cunningham urged anyone who is recommended to receive the vaccine and has not gotten it to contact a healthcare provider: "The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is well-tested, highly effective and provides long-lasting protection."
The timeline behind the current count runs through this year's case numbers and the vaccination status attached to them. Officials have said measles can cause death or lifelong complications for some individuals. Symptoms include a runny nose, red and watery eyes, dry cough, fever and rash, according to Mayo Clinic.
The department's vaccination guidance stands as the state's active recommendation.
Source: Grand Forks Herald
