Manitoba, in western Canada, is in the midst of a serious measles epidemic. Their most recent update shows 207 cases total, with nine new infections. These numbers suggest a really terrible story. In only two months, the province reported more cases this school year than all of the past 25 years added together. Health officials are hoping to quell this upswing with aggressive action. For families, they recommend reviewing your child’s immunization history and ensuring that their vaccinations are current.
The measles virus is a very dangerous pathogen, as it is incredibly contagious. It can spread even before someone develops symptoms such as the classic rash, making it much harder to contain outbreaks. As students return to campus, alarm is growing. Potential exposure the first week of classes at Winnipeg, Manitoba| two schools in southern Manitoba >>/@_azlin @Noplace4housing 1/2 pictwitter.com/h9JcGT38DdDr. Davinder Singh, a medical officer of health with Southern Health, echoes the urgency of the situation.
Health Officials Sound Alarm
Just last week health officials in Manitoba have reported 2 cases of measles. As a result, 13 people have been hospitalized. Of these, two needed intensive care because of complications from the virus. This rise in cases has sent shockwaves throughout our healthcare community, leading to an urgent call to action.
According to Dr. Singh, nearly all of the people affected by this disease are children under age 10. Even worse, many of these kids are yet to be immunized against the disease. He stated, “All those that I’m aware of have been children, and the vast majority under the age of 10. As far as I’m aware, they were all not immunized.” This statistic emphasizes how critical it is to get children their vaccinations.
“When you talk about measles, it’s something that historically might bring back some feelings of various times in history where outbreaks like this could happen.” – Colin Campbell
As schools reopen, Dr. Singh cautions that families should be prepared to re-evaluate their vaccine status. “We may see that again, now that school’s going on and maybe there’s more kind of reminders for families to update their immunizations if they haven’t already,” he said. Among the many potential consequences of back to school is a feared nationwide jump in transmission that is top of mind to health officials.
Vaccination Campaigns and Challenges
Canada was declared free of endemic measles in 1998, but this latest outbreak risks reverting that hard-fought elimination status. Manitoba’s health authorities have responded by expanding eligibility for the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine to infants as young as six months in Southern Health and the Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority. This new public health initiative will strengthen protection against vaccine-preventable diseases among children and adolescents.
During the past school year, mobile vaccination clinics were set up in neighborhoods with the most community spread, quickly garnering interest and increasing vaccinations with immediate response from residents. Despite the jump in cases, Southern Health is not planning additional clinics at this time. They left the door open to revisiting the decision should vaccine demand and number of infections reported keep rising, officials said.
Dr. Singh questioned the reported measles infection rate. In fact, he thinks it could be ten times higher than what is currently reported. Preventive measures are complicated by the fact that individuals can be contagious before they even know they have measles, as they may only exhibit more vague symptoms such as fever or cough, runny nose, red watery eyes but not yet the characteristic rash. They may still be going around spreading measles to other people,” he added.
Community Response and Recommendations
As an immediate response to the outbreak, public health officials are canvassing homes to talk directly with families about their vaccination status. They continue to provide guidance for isolating at home when it is needed. Colin Campbell commented on the importance of these outreach efforts: “Then public health makes those phone calls out to families to check in regards to the vaccination, and then their recommendations to isolate for those that would require that.”
As kids head back to classrooms, health officials remind parents how important it is to make sure children are fully immunized. The impact of ignoring vaccinations can be devastating, but we all know that after watching the current outbreak unfold. Dr. Singh calls this “more than a modest outbreak,” underscoring the severity of this persistent public health emergency.
