MN health officials host Measles education booth at state fair

(KMSP) - The Minnesota Department of Health is reaching out to state fair goers, stressing the importance of vaccinations – particularly after the Measles outbreak.

The department said it's a way to reach out to the masses and show them the science behind vaccines. With 79 cases to date, the recent measles outbreak in Minnesota prompted the department to devote their fair display to the importance of vaccines.

"People have had questions the last few months about vaccines and how they work and [ask] what was their role in the measles outbreak?" said Dough Schultz of the Minnesota Department of Health.

Schultz said in the recent outbreak, several people--including children had to be hospitalized.

He also said since there's still a lot of confusion and misinformation about vaccines, the department wanted to do some outreach.

In order to make education fun for all, there are some interactive games set up for kids to better understand what infectious diseases are and how they make you sick.

The health department said it’s aware that vaccines are a hot button issue and its staff is bracing themselves for some potential backlash on the subject.

"It's also possible that we could get one or two visitors to the booth who may have issues or who may want to talk with us more," Schultz said.

If there are no more new measles cases by Friday, the outbreak will officially be declared over.