Number of Hennepin County measles cases now at 10

The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed another measles case in Hennepin County, bringing the outbreak total to 10 so far.

All of the cases are in children, who range in age from 4 months to 4 years old. Five of the children were not immunized. Four others were too young to receive vaccine.

The Health Department is urging all Hennepin County residents and all Somalis living in the greater metropolitan area to get the MMR vaccine, if they haven't already done so.

Health officials believe the outbreak began with a Somali infant who had been in Kenya before coming to the Twin Cities.

Children can get the vaccine once they turn a year old. A second dose is usually given by the time a child reaches pre-school age. But the Health Department said people in the affected areas only need to delay the second dose by four weeks.

There have been no deaths associated with the measles outbreak. Five of the 10 affected children did require hospitalization.

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