Officials say that families could have been exposed to measles from the Mall of America due to an unvaccinated child.
This non -vaccinated child from Dakota County is one of the Two new measles cases reported in the state. The other case is an adult in the county of Washington who was exposed during his trips.
Health officials say that the child was not vaccinated and could have exposed others in the theme park inside the Mall of America on the evening of May 24.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, according to the Minnesota Ministry of Health.
“He spreads by speaking and laughing and singing,” said MDH’s infectious disease director Jessica Hancock-Allen. “And unfortunately, he can hang around in the air and infect others for up to two hours, even after this contagious child, in this case, leaves this airspace. This is the reason why we are really warning the public.”
Hancock-Allen said that the disease is potentially fatal, noting that it can cause very high fevers.
“It can be super miserable. It can cause brain swelling. Pneumonia,” she said. “We had 70 cases in Minnesota in 2024. 40% of these cases found themselves in the hospital and rarely, but this can lead to death.”
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, flowing nose, aqueous eyes and full skin rashes.
Breed cases are increasing. MDH blames the drop in vaccination rates: in 2019, more than 92% of minnesota kindergarten children were fully vaccinated. In 2024, this number had decreased to 87%.
“In the end, I am safe and they are safe because we choose to vaccinate, but that presents a significant risk, the fewer people who are vaccinated for this,” said Alexander Vechensky, who has two girls.
While the non -vaccinated child with measles visited the Mall of America on May 24, the symptoms may not arise before May 31 to June 14.
“Providing a safe environment is a priority for us because we have large daily sanitation protocols for all rides, food services and common shopping areas,” said Mall of America in a statement.
So far this year, the The United States has reported 1,088 cases of measlesWith more than 720 in Texas only.