Todd County’s vaccine skepticism fuels measles surge

Measles, a highly contagious disease that was once declared eliminated from the U.S., is spreading again in parts of Minnesota.

Minnesota is seeing its highest number of measles cases in 36 years, with 80 cases reported so far in 2026.

The largest cluster is Todd County, in central Minnesota, where 57 cases have been identified since mid-September. Health officials attribute the outbreak to a lower-than-average vaccination rate that has dropped even more in recent years.