According to recent media reports, eleven confirmed cases of measles have appeared in the Twin Cities, with about half emerging from the Somali community.

Despite the dedicated efforts of health professionals within our community, many of us continue to neglect a primary parental responsibility – we fail to have our children immunized.

Though it is generally difficult to calibrate responses from within the Somali community regarding the topic of immunizations, it would seem the supposed link between autism and the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine (MMR) is chief among factors deterring parents. Such safety concerns probably explain the drop in MMR vaccinations over the last year within the Somali community.

Indeed, when I asked some parents why they don’t want to vaccinate their children, it became clear that the understanding of MMR as a catalyst for autism is a common perception within the community.

It is apparent that many families have taken the now discredited research of UK doctor Andrew Wakefield as scientific “fact.” Apparently, however, his findings couldn’t be further from the truth.

Here are some actual facts about Wakefield and his “research”:

• His 1998 article in The Lancet medical journal, which contains his supposed damning evidence against vaccinations, has been declared fraudulent. (Only 12 children were studied as a basis for his research.)
• He has since been stripped of his medical license in the UK.
• Yet, during this same period, he has visited the Somali community of the Twin Cities more than the Minnesota Department of Health’s own officials.

The MDH must act now. The right information is not trickling into the community from the MDH. It must take a leading role in disseminating the proper information to residents of the Twin Cities, Saint Cloud, Rochester, Mankato, Willmar, and beyond. The agency must also initiate vaccination drives for all children and establish the necessary outreach mechanisms that will ensure these drives will continue for years to come.

Misperceptions such as those sparked by Wakefield can take hold, especially in vulnerable communities where resources are scarce, and the “facts” that support them must be quickly exposed as misinformation. Such exposures must be dealt with through holistic programs of outreach, as well, and the recent inviting of Somali doctors to lead efforts to disseminate info should be applauded.

For more information, check out the MDH’s vaccination page on their website, contact the Minnesota Immunization Program at +18006573970 or +16512015503, and call the CDC Immunization Hotline at +18002324636. The MDH has also developed a web resource specifically addressing Autism and the Somali community. For those in the Twin Cities, public information events co-sponsored by the MDH and the Somali Health Coalition (SHC) of Minnesota are being held in the Somali community. Click here for more details.