Minnesota child with measles visited Mall of America theme park
The Minnesota Department of Health has documented two new cases of measles in the Twin Cities area, according to a Monday news release. One case is an unvaccinated Dakota County child who was contagious while visiting Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America on May 24.
The second case is a Washington County adult who was exposed during travel within the United States. Their vaccination status is currently unknown. The child with measles has not traveled recently and does not have known exposures to the illness.
'Anytime we confirm a case of measles unrelated to travel that has no known source it is worrying,' said Jessica Hancock-Allen, infectious disease division director at MDH. 'This is because it could be a sign that measles is spreading in the community undetected by public health and health care systems.'
MDH doesn't yet know where the child was exposed and is working with local health officials to identify others who may have been exposed. These are Minnesota's third and fourth known cases this year. MDH urged those who visited the Mall of America on May 24 to be aware of possible measles symptoms: fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes, and a rash. Measles can lead to hospitalization and even death.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne illness that can stay in the air up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area. After being exposed to measles, a person could be asymptomatic for up to 12 days.
The Minnesota measles cases come during a resurgent time for both the disease and anti-vaccine sentiments — President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed conflicting opinions on the safety and effectiveness of vaccinations.
In April, Kennedy traveled to Texas, which is experiencing the largest measles outbreak since 2000. As of May 30, the Texas Department of Health has confirmed 738 cases of the illness since late January.
Two unvaccinated children have died since the outbreak began. Following the visit, Kennedy appeared to endorse the vaccine on social media.
'The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine,' Kennedy said on X.
In an interview with CBS news three days later, however, Kennedy argued that measles cases are inevitable.
'We're always going to have measles, no matter what happens, as the vaccine wanes very quickly,' Kennedy said.
While the measles case count in Minnesota remains low, MDH recommended that Minnesotans get vaccinated and check their immunization records.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
HHS employees grapple with deadly CDC shooting while RFK Jr goes fishing
Conspiracy theories aren't just internet rabbit holes anymore — they've become gasoline on a fire that's burning in real life. And unfortunately, the flames are reaching places they should never touch. In politics today, conspiracy theories are currency. They often inspire, animate and drive the party in the Trump era. And while it might be tempting to shrug them off as fringe nonsense with little real-world consequence, reality keeps proving otherwise. Case in point: A Georgia man recently opened fire on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, killing a police officer and rattling the nation's top public health agency. According to The Associated Press, the shooter 'blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal.' This wasn't some random act of violence — it was a direct line from misinformation to tragedy. Here's the truth: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who oversees the CDC as the Health and Human Services secretary, has spent years vilifying the very institution he's now in charge of. He's compared the agency's vaccine work to 'fascism' and 'child abuse,' called it a 'cesspool of corruption,' and once even likened public health decisions to 'the Holocaust' — a comparison he later apologized for. After the shooting, the CDC's new director, Susan Monarez, reportedly convened an online all-hands meeting of the agency division that focuses on vaccines — recordings of this meeting were reviewed by MSNBC. As the leaders spoke, dozens of staffers reportedly posted messages in the meeting chat, many naming Kennedy, citing his years of spreading misinformation about vaccines and vilifying the health agencies he now leads. Staff members described feeling like 'sitting ducks,' and one reportedly wrote, 'We need them to stop fanning the flames of hatred against us, stop spreading misinformation. We will not be safe until they stop their attacks against us.' And yet, as bullets still echoed in the minds of CDC workers, Kennedy's most visible public activity was posting fishing photos in Alaska. His official statement of support came more than 30 minutes after his fishing post — and long after the symbolism had sunk in. As infectious disease specialist Céline Gounder put it: 'The symbolism could not be clearer: Scientists, doctors, public health officials, and law enforcement officials — people whose life's work is to protect the nation — have targets on their backs.' If Kennedy truly believes in protecting Americans' health, now is the moment to lower the temperature. The rhetoric he's used in the past might score political points, but it should be clear that it's no longer acceptable. Conspiracy theories are not harmless. They have consequences, and this time, one of those consequences was deadly. Yes, people are solely responsible for the terrible actions they take, but leadership can make it a point not to allow conspiracy theories to run wild. Kennedy can't undo years of inflammatory comments overnight, but he can start by speaking responsibly now. Because when words become bullets, the damage is already done.
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
CDC shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Georgia investigators say
Advertisement The suspect's family was fully cooperating with the investigation, authorities said at the Tuesday news briefing. White had no known criminal history, Hosey said. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Executing a search warrant at White's home, authorities recovered written documents that are being analyzed, and seized electronic devices that are undergoing a forensic examination, the agency said. Investigators also recovered a total of five firearms, along with other critical evidence, the agency said. Hosey said White broke into a secured safe to get the weapons, including a gun that belonged to his father that he used in the attack. 'More than 500 shell casings have been recovered from the crime scene,' the GBI said in a statement Tuesday. Officials are conducting a threat assessment to the CDC facility and making sure they notify officials of any threats. Advertisement The shooting Friday broke about 150 windows across the CDC campus, with bullets piercing 'blast-resistant' windows and spattering glass shards into numerous rooms, and pinned many employees down during the barrage. White had been stopped by CDC security guards before driving to a pharmacy across the street, where he opened fire from a sidewalk, authorities said. US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. toured the CDC campus on Monday, accompanied by Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill and CDC Director Susan Monarez, according to a health agency statement. Kennedy also visited the DeKalb County Police Department, and later met privately with the slain officer's wife. 'No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others,' Kennedy said in a statement Saturday that said top federal health officials are 'actively supporting CDC staff.' He did not speak to the media during his visit Monday. Some unionized CDC employees called for more protections against attack. Kennedy was a leader in a national anti-vaccine movement before President Trump selected him to oversee federal health agencies, and has made false and misleading statements about the safety and effectiveness of about COVID-19 shots and other vaccines. Years of false rhetoric about vaccines and public health was bound to 'take a toll on people's mental health,' and 'leads to violence,' said Tim Young, a CDC employee who retired in April.
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
180 shots were fired in CDC attack in Atlanta
A lone gunman fired 180 shots at the Atlanta Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters on Friday, with bullets piercing about 150 windows, the Associated Press reported, citing internal reports. An array of buildings was damaged, including one where CDC Director Susan Monarez's office is housed. Police identified Patrick Joseph White as the gunman and said he opened fire on the campus following claims that the COVID-19 vaccine made him severely depressed and suicidal, AP reported. One police officer was killed during the incident; White was also fatally shot. Investigators are still working to uncover whether he succumbed to self-inflicted bullet wounds or if he was struck by law enforcement's gun fire. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the site Monday, touring the area with HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill and Monarez, according to a press release from the department. 'We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others,' Kennedy wrote in a post on X, following the shooting. 'We are actively supporting CDC staff on the ground and across the agency. Public health workers show up every day with purpose — even in moments of grief and uncertainty,' he added. 'We honor their service. We stand with them.' However, some are blaming Kennedy, a former anti-vaccine advocate, for the attack. 'When your own leadership peddles falsehoods, it doesn't just erode the public trust. It creates the conditions for the kind of violence that we saw on Friday,' Yolanda Jacobs, president of AFGE Local 2883, said in a statement. The labor union issued an open letter containing demands to depoliticize the agency, increase security presence and create more telework opportunities in the wake of the violent incident.
