Minnesota Somali community fear compounds public health efforts

Measles vaccination rates among Minnesota’s Somali children have fallen sharply, and community leaders say fear related to recent immigration enforcement has reduced clinic visits and interrupted outreach.

Public health officials and Somali community leaders in Minneapolis report a marked decline in measles vaccinations among Somali children and say recent immigration enforcement has increased fear and limited people’s movement. Outreach efforts such as mobile clinics, community discussion groups and a vaccine confidence task force had shown some gains before many activities paused. The community has experienced multiple measles outbreaks in recent years, and recorded autism rates among Somali 4-year-olds have been reported as higher than among white peers, a difference researchers say is unexplained. In this context, misinformation about vaccines has persisted alongside start-and-stop public health efforts. What officials report: - Measles vaccination for Somali 2-year-olds fell from about 92% in 2006 to roughly 24% in recent state data. - Leaders say immigration enforcement has led many families to avoid leaving home and to skip routine medical visits, reducing opportunities for outreach. - Minnesota has had measles outbreaks in 2011, 2017, 2022 and 2024, and the state logged 26 cases last year across multiple communities. - Local programs had some measurable success (for example, one 12-month clinic cohort reported 83% vaccination by program end) but many activities are paused or inconsistent. Summary: Progress in reaching some families with vaccination information and services has been disrupted, and officials say fewer routine health contacts are taking place. Some providers and community groups are exploring renewed outreach methods, but overall activity and the broader public health response are uneven and the near-term outlook is undetermined at this time.