Contact Info
Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division
651-201-5414
Varicella (Chickenpox) and Zoster (Shingles) Statistics
Updated 08/13/2026
The incidence of varicella (chickenpox) declined sharply in Minnesota over the past 20 years because of the varicella vaccine. In recent years, as vaccination rates have declined, we have seen an increase in varicella incidence, and an increase in varicella outbreaks.
Healthcare providers, childcares, and schools are required to report all suspected and confirmed cases of varicella.
On this page:
2026 varicella cases to date
Charts and graphs
Disease Control Newsletter (DCN)
2026 varicella cases to date
Data are preliminary and may change as reports are received.
As of August 13, 2026, the number of probable and confirmed cases reported: 185
2026 cases by county map
2026 cases by county table
| County | Number of Cases |
|---|---|
| Aitkin | 0 |
| Anoka | 4 |
| Becker | 0 |
| Beltrami | 0 |
| Benton | 0 |
| Big Stone | 0 |
| Blue Earth | 1 |
| Brown | 0 |
| Carlton | 2 |
| Carver | 2 |
| Cass | 1 |
| Chippewa | 1 |
| Chisago | 3 |
| Clay | 2 |
| Clearwater | 0 |
| Cook | 0 |
| Cottonwood | 0 |
| Crow Wing | 3 |
| Dakota | 12 |
| Dodge | 0 |
| Douglas | 5 |
| Faribault | 0 |
| Fillmore | 0 |
| Freeborn | 0 |
| Goodhue | 0 |
| Grant | 1 |
| Hennepin | 23 |
| Houston | 0 |
| Hubbard | 2 |
| Isanti | 0 |
| Itasca | 3 |
| Jackson | 0 |
| Kanabec | 0 |
| Kandiyohi | 1 |
| Kittson | 0 |
| Koochiching | 0 |
| Lac Qui Parle | 1 |
| Lake | 0 |
| Lake of the Woods | 0 |
| Le Sueur | 0 |
| Lincoln | 0 |
| Lyon | 0 |
| Mahnomen | 0 |
| Marshall | 0 |
| Martin | 4 |
| McLeod | 5 |
| Meeker | 0 |
| Mille Lacs | 1 |
| Morrison | 1 |
| Mower | 0 |
| Murray | 0 |
| Nicollet | 0 |
| Nobles | 0 |
| Norman | 0 |
| Olmsted | 8 |
| Otter Tail | 1 |
| Pennington | 0 |
| Pine | 3 |
| Pipestone | 0 |
| Polk | 1 |
| Pope | 0 |
| Ramsey | 10 |
| Red Lake | 0 |
| Redwood | 0 |
| Renville | 0 |
| Rice | 1 |
| Rock | 0 |
| Roseau | 0 |
| Scott | 3 |
| Sherburne | 12 |
| Sibley | 0 |
| St. Louis | 1 |
| Stearns | 4 |
| Steele | 0 |
| Stevens | 0 |
| Swift | 0 |
| Todd | 2 |
| Traverse | 0 |
| Wabasha | 1 |
| Wadena | 0 |
| Waseca | 2 |
| Washington | 8 |
| Watonwan | 0 |
| Wilkin | 0 |
| Winona | 0 |
| Wright | 49 |
| Yellow Medicine | 0 |
| Unknown | 0 |
Charts and graphs
- Number of Probable and Confirmed Varicella Cases Reported by Notification Week (PDF)
- Varicella Cases and Incidence Rate by Age Group, Minnesota 2026 (PDF)
- Varicella and Zoster Annual Statistics, 2015-2025 (PDF)
Disease Control Newsletter (DCN)
- Varicella: Annual Summary of Reportable Diseases
The Minnesota Department of Health collects information on infectious diseases for the purposes of determining disease impact, assessing trends in disease occurrence, characterizing affected populations, prioritizing control efforts, and evaluating prevention strategies, and reports statistics annually. Note: There are no listings for years in which there were no cases reported. The annual summary archives available on the web go back to 1997. - Zoster: Annual Summary of Reportable Diseases
The Minnesota Department of Health collects information on infectious diseases for the purposes of determining disease impact, assessing trends in disease occurrence, characterizing affected populations, prioritizing control efforts, and evaluating prevention strategies, and reports statistics annually. Note: There are no listings for years in which there were no cases reported. The annual summary archives available on the web go back to 1997.
Last Updated: 08/13/2026