Health officials encouraging Manitoba parents to vaccinate children as province hits 20 confirmed cases
‘You can help protect yourself, your family, and your community,’ says co-lead of immunization program
Manitoba public health officials are encouraging parents to immunize their children against measles as the province's total climbed to 20 confirmed cases and four probable cases of the disease on Wednesday.
Health officials say low immunization rates in the Southern Health-Santé Sud health region have contributed to the recent spike in cases and possible exposures around Winkler in southern Manitoba.
Dr. Davinder Singh, medical co-lead for Manitoba Health's immunization program, told CBC News that vaccination is the best way to guard against infection.
"It's within people's control to do something about this and the most effective thing by far to get immunized. So if, for whatever reason, you didn't get immunized up to now, now is the perfect time to get your first immunization," Singh said.
"You can help protect yourself, your family, and your community by doing so," he said.
The measles vaccine, often given as part of the combined MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, is a two-dose series.
The Manitoba government's website says children 12 months and older are currently eligible for two doses, but kids between six and 12 months can have one dose if they have travel plans for a "measles endemic country."
The recent outbreak has public health officials "actively evaluating" whether to allow children under a year old to get their first dose, Singh said.
"It could be changing in the near future," Singh said, adding there's no specific timeline for eligibility changes yet.
In response to a province-wide measles outbreak in neighbouring Ontario, some health units in that province expanded their vaccination programs to include infants between six and 11 months earlier this year.
Nearly a year ago, an unvaccinated child died in Hamilton, Ont. — the first measles death in the province since 1989.
Dr. Peter Hotez, U.S.-based pediatrician and virologist, told CBC News that measles is "one of the most highly contagious viruses we know about" and is more likely to spread anywhere childhood immunization rates dip below 90 per cent.
Earlier this year, two unvaccinated children died in Hotez's home state of Texas after they contracted measles.
Most at risk are those who have not received the MMR vaccine — one of the "safest" and "most effective" vaccines we have, Hotez said — or are too young to be eligible.
Ruth Grimes, a pediatrician and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, says she is "definitely fielding more questions" about the vaccine, especially from parents concerned about keeping their kids' immunizations up to date.
A few years ago, she said she treated a child who had contracted measles and later developed pneumonia as a result.
"Happily, that child did have a positive outcome. The difficulty is that you cannot predict who is going to have a good outcome and overcome it, and who who isn't," Grimes said.
She said it's important for physicians to answer vaccine questions openly and honestly with patients and parents, while ensuring they understand the risks of not vaccinating.
"Measles is a devastating infection," she said, adding that "ensuring that your immunizations are up to date" is the best way to prevent sickness and further spread.
"It's all about trying to prevent the devastating complications and the risk of death from measles."
With files from Chidi Ekuma, Marcy Markusa and Rosanna Hempel