Anti-Vaccine Activists Could Have Been Factor in Minnesota Measles Outbreak

The Needle” by Partha S. Sahana licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: Washington Post

Although extensive research has shown that vaccinations do not lead to autism, anti-vaccine activists – particularly within the Somali community in Minnesota – believe that vaccines cause disorders, and they might have triggered the worst measles outbreak the state has experienced in decades, according to a new report.

Minnesota’s Somali community is the largest in the U.S., and a survey by the health department has found that an unexpectedly high rate of Somali children are enrolled in preschool autism programs, which highlights the community’s deep fear of autism.

According to data from the state health department, MMR vaccination rates among U.S.-born children of Somali descent dropped from 92% to 42% between 2004 to 2014, and since early May there have been more than forty cases of measles.

Read full story at: Washington Post

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