Andrew Wakefield is the Anti-Vaxx Gift That Keeps Giving

The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed that at least eight children have measles.  They are all between the ages of 1 year and 4 years old and NONE have been vaccinated against measles although they are age-eligible.  Seven of the eight children belong to the large Somali community in Hennepin County and six have been hospitalised.  There may be more cases given the low MMR vaccine uptake among those in that community and only one case could be traced to a contact.

Andrew Wakefield, professional fraud made at least three trips to the Minnesota Somali community between 2010 and 2011 to pimp his faux concern about autism and measles jabs.  The result was a 50% uptake in the MMR jab as of 2013.  Even before his visits, Wakefield's fraudulent 1998 study linking MMR jabs to autism and visits from other anti-vaxx groups impacted this community and decreased the MMR vaccine uptake from ~90% to 54% sparking an outbreak in 2011 after his visits there.

Andrew Wakefield promised this community he would investigate their autism rate; he never did.  Instead he convinced them to eschew vaccination and gave them measles outbreaks.  That's the Wakefield Touch.

Update 18 April 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed a ninth measles case in Hennepin County in an unvaccinated child.

Update 20 April 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed  eleven cases of measles in Hennepin County all in children ages 1-5 years old, nine confirmed in unvaccinated children and nine in the Somali community.

Update 22 April 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed twelve cases of measles in Hennepin County all in children under 5 years old and all unvaccinated.  The uptake of MMR in the Somali community there is 42% in children under the age of two years old.

Update 25 April 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed twenty cases of measles in Hennepin County now.  One child less than one year old has been infected and 50% of infected children have been hospitalised.  Sixteen children have been confirmed unvaccinated.

Update 27 April 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed 24 cases of measles in Hennepin County.  Twenty-three of the 24 cases have been confirmed UNVACCINATED.  All children infected are five years old and younger. It has been confirmed that NONE of the infected children were vaccinated, 50% have been hospitalised and the infected children are between 10 months and 5 years old.  The outbreak may have emanated from a daycare.

Update 1 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed 32 cases of measles, 30 in Hennepin County and has spread with one in Ramsey County and one in Stearns County.  Of the 32 measles cases, only one child has received a single MMR jab, all others are UNVACCINATED.

Update 5 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed 41 cases of measles which has spread to Crow Wing County involving another unvaccinated child.  The stats of this outbreak are:
• 1 involves an adult and the rest are children age 10 or younger
• 39 involve people who were not vaccinated against the disease
• 34 are from Minnesota's Somali community
The case previously reported from Stearns County was ruled out as measles with confirmatory testing.
Anti-vaxx groups continue to stoke unfounded fears of vaccines causing autism among the Somali community in Hennepin County.

Update 8 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed the measles outbreak is up to 48 cases.

• 45 in Hennepin County
• 2 in Ramsey County
• 1 in Crow Wing County
• 45 confirmed to be unvaccinated
• 1 had 1 dose of MMR
• 2 had 2 doses of MMR
• 41 of the cases are Somali Minnesotan 

Update 11 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed the measles outbreak is up to 51 cases:

• 47 confirmed to be unvaccinated
• 1 had 1 dose of MMR
• 2 had 2 doses of MMR
• 1 case has unknown vaccination status
• 48 in children (ages 0-17 years)
• 3 cases in adults
• 46 of the cases are Somali Minnesotan 

Update 15 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed the measles outbreak is up to 58 cases:

• 49 in Hennepin County
• 3 in Ramsey County
• 4 in Crow Wing County
• 2 in Le Sueur County
• 55 confirmed to be unvaccinated
• 1 had 1 dose of MMR
• 2 had 2 doses of MMR
• 55 in children (ages 0-17 years)
• 3 cases in adults
• 49 of the cases are Somali Minnesotan

Additionally, the cost of this outbreak is estimated to be ~$1 Million Dollars.

Update 22 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed the measles outbreak is up to 66 cases:

• 56 in Hennepin County
• 4 in Ramsey County
• 4 in Crow Wing County
• 2 in Le Sueur County
• 62 confirmed to be unvaccinated
• 1 had 1 dose of MMR
• 3 had 2 doses of MMR
• 63 in children (ages 0-17 years)
• 3 cases in adults
• 57 of the cases are Somali Minnesotan 

Update 2 June 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed the measles outbreak is up to 73 cases.

• 64 in Hennepin County
• 3 in Ramsey County
• 4 in Crow Wing County
• 2 in Le Sueur County
• 68 confirmed to be unvaccinated
• 2 had 1 dose of MMR
• 3 had 2 doses of MMR
• 70 in children (ages 0-17 years)
• 3 cases in adults
• 60 of the cases are Somali Minnesotan