A measles outbreak has inflicted nine children in Hennepin County -- and more cases are likely to be confirmed soon -- but state health officials are urging calm. While children one year and older should get vaccinated, parents need not be alarmed if they have unprotected infants who aren't old enough for the shot, said Dr. Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist.

"We don't have a giant number of cases, " she said. "Nine is too many, but people need to put it in context. Of our nine cases, quite a few of them were individuals who were not vaccinated but were of an age that they could have been."

The Minnesota Department of Health has found connections linking the majority of the infected children. People who have been in contact with infected children are encouraged to stay home for brief periods to prevent further transmission. The original case likely involved a child who returned from Kenya with the infection.

The state recommends a shot after age one, and a booster before age six, to protect children against measles. The high vaccination rate kept Minnesota largely protected -- there were only six measles cases in the previous five years -- but increased concerns about vaccine safety have left some pockets of the state unprotected.

This is particularly true of Minneapolis' Somali community, which has seen a high autism rate in its children and suspects that vaccine might be playing a role. State health officials said there is no proof of the vaccine-autism link. Lynfield noted that measles cause complications in one of three cases and can be fatal in one of 500 cases. Five of the nine infected children were hospitalized.

In the unlikely event that measles becomes widespread in Minnesota, Lynfield said there are alternatives the state could consider -- including lowering the age threshold for vaccination to six months. Some children that young already receive measles shots if they are traveling to Africa or other high-risk locations. The vaccine is generally more effective when given to children once they are one year of age, Lynfield said.

"If we are concerned that it's going to be a broader problem, we will reevaluate the recommendation," she said.

The level of alarm in the community appears low. A free vaccine clinic yesterday drew only one child. A second Hennepin County vaccine clinic is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Children's Hospital in Minneapoilis. A Somali community meeting on measles and vaccine might generate more interest in that clinic, officials said.

Measles is caused by a virus and generally results in an itchy rash that starts at the head and travels down the body. Fever and classic cold symptoms are common as well. Lynfield said the virus can spread through the air, as it did in 1991 when 16 people at a Special Olympics event at the Metrodome were infected. A track and field athlete from Argentina was the original case in that outbreak. Interestingly, two of the infected people were sitting in the upper deck of the Dome -- more than 30 meters above the athletes.