Manitoba still faces challenge in stopping measles spread: community health professor

It’s been a year since the first cases of measles were reported in the latest outbreak in Manitoba — and there’s no sign that the spread of the highly contagious disease is slowing.

“It’s been very busy,” said Dr. Davinder Singh, medical officer of health for Southern Health, the regional health region that has seen most of the province’s cases.

Since February of last year, there have been 371 confirmed and 32 probable measles cases in Manitoba as of Jan. 24, the latest numbers available.

There were no reported cases of measles in Manitoba in 2024, According to federal data.

The province announced The first five cases of the current outbreak on February 4, 2025. The number of cases increased over the following months, peaking with 72 infections in May, then falling to 23 cases in October.

But measles cases are increasing again, 51 infections have been confirmed so far in the new yearAccording to the latest data from the province.

“This is clearly indicating that there is still a challenge in addressing the increasing number of cases in Manitoba,” said Michelle Drieser, a University of Manitoba professor who specializes in community health.

According to Singh, about eight out of every 10 measles cases in Manitoba have been reported to Southern Health.

“The outbreak could be over in a month or six weeks if everyone who is not immune and is susceptible wants to get vaccinated,” he said. “That’s exactly what we need.”

Southern Health has a lower measles vaccination rate than other parts of the province, Singh said. He said most of the patients infected with the virus are from areas with the lowest rates of vaccination.

The health sector has been trying to stop the spread of measles by encouraging vaccination over the past year — but it’s not easy, he said.

Most people who have not been vaccinated have either expressed concerns about the safety of the vaccine or think the virus is not serious enough to require vaccination.

The majority of measles cases in Manitoba – 334 cases, or 85.6 per cent – ​​are in people who have not been immunized against the disease, while 25 cases, or just over six per cent, are in people whose vaccination status is unknown. According to provincial data.

A total of 12 cases, or three percent, were in people who had received one dose of vaccination against measles. Twenty-one cases, or 5.2 percent, involved people taking two or more doses.

Singh said the measles vaccine is extremely safe and its risks are very low, but misinformation still spreads.

“This is not something that can be easily changed with an advertising campaign,” he said. “You really have to get to the roots of why someone is not trusting vaccination to get a handle on this.”

He said health officials are working with the education system as well as family doctors to get accurate information.

Southern Health is also talking about vaccination during sessions with families, including prenatal and postnatal care programming, aimed at opening the door to talking about concerns about the measles vaccine, Singh said.

“I think a lot of it comes down to trust,” he said.

burden on health care system

number of measles Singh said the surge in infections in Manitoba is adding to the workload of already busy emergency departments, but is also putting pressure on administrative units.

With each positive case, health care officials must contact trace to know where the virus transmitted, and then alert the public.

“Any burden on those systems could be very significant,” he said. “It adds a lot of extra work for a lot of extra people to the system.”

But Singh said his biggest concern is the unnecessary disease and suffering caused by its outbreak.

“It’s completely preventable, because we have a very effective vaccine,” he said.

According to provincial data, 22 people have been hospitalized with measles in Manitoba since February last year, with two requiring treatment in an intensive care unit.

Of those hospitalized, 16 were children under 10 years of age. Children are most at risk from serious complications of measles.

listen to concerns

Drieser, of the University of Manitoba, who specializes in public health and health communication, said he thinks health officials are doing everything they can to increase vaccination rates.

This includes Southern Health last year expanding measles vaccination eligibility to children up to six months of age. A spokesperson for the province told CBC News that 2,078 infants between six and 12 months have received the dose. Since measles vaccine eligibility expanded.

Dreiser says his research on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in that region has shown that increased availability of vaccinations does not necessarily translate into an increase in vaccinations.

Public health messaging about vaccines works better when it comes from local health providers rather than provincial officials, she said, so primary care providers, including doctors, started talking directly with their patients about the COVID-19 vaccine.

“There was more of a willingness to listen because it was coming from people who live in the community,” he said.

“Having the conversation is making sure they leave the door open. Even if the patient doesn’t want to accept the vaccine at that time, they can still come back.”

Dreger says communication is important as measles outbreaks continue.

“It’s not a magical solution. It’s not going to solve that problem, but it’s definitely one of those things that definitely helps.”

Kyle Penner, co-pastor of Grace Mennonite Church in Steinbach, which is part of the Southern Health Region, said he has dealt with vaccine hesitancy by referring health professionals in his congregation to concerns about measles or vaccination.

Some congregants think not getting vaccinated is a sign of faith in God, Penner said.

“I have to say, when my kids were little and I bathed them, I tested the waters. I still wear a seatbelt,” he said in an interview with CBC. information radio. “I will not use vaccination as a test of how faithful we are to God.”

Penner said the conversation about the measles vaccine should be handled without shame or blame.

“If we can establish that we’re on the same team, we’re not enemies… we’re working toward the same goal,” he said.

“I think we all need a little bit of time to heal and remember that those of us who choose differently are still good people.”