A measles outbreak in Hennepin County has spread to an elementary school in Minneapolis, bringing the total number of cases in Minnesota, since May, to 51.
Minnesota Department of Health officials are contacting unvaccinated students who may have been exposed. Minneapolis Public Schools asked parents via email to vaccinate their families and update immunization records. School and health officials declined to name the school, citing privacy concerns. It’s unclear how many students might be sick with measles, and how many unvaccinated students might have been exposed.
About 70% of the students at the school are fully vaccinated and 2% have non-medical exemptions, according to MDH. (Parents in Minnesota are allowed to opt out their children from vaccines for philosophical reasons, referred to as “non-medical exemptions.”) Students at the school who are not vaccinated will be excluded from attendance for 21 days…