ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Health Department says a 12-month-old Dakota County resident is in critical condition with a measles infection. A second infant is also hospitalized with measles.

The Health Department says Friday the 12-month-old become ill in August after returning from Kenya, where there’s a measles epidemic. The second child became ill after visiting the first child.

The Health Department says neither child had been vaccinated against measles.

The department’s Dr. Aaron DeVries says the cases show the importance of vaccinations, which he says are safe and effective. He notes that measles can be very serious, even fatal.