As measles makes a comeback, N.S. chief medical officer urges people to get vaccinated

Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health says the rate of measles vaccination in the province needs to be higher to prevent the kind of outbreaks happening in Western Canada.

The province needs 95 per cent immunity in order to stop the disease. Dr. Robert Strang said the latest numbers from 2024 show 93 per cent of two-year-olds at that time had had at least one dose of the measles vaccine and 79 per cent had two doses. 

The vaccine is recommended for babies at 12 months and 18 months.

"We're doing OK because those are underestimates," Strang said Wednesday. 

"And we know some of that 93 per cent — maybe [there was] just a delay [and] they didn't get their second dose until after they were two and they're still fully immunized. But there's more we need to do."

This week, Nova Scotia Health reported one lab-confirmed case of measles in Pictou County and said it expects there to be more. The health authority said that case involves a child, and is believed to be related to travel within Canada to an area with known measles cases.

Nova Scotia's first lab-confirmed case of 2025, in May, involved an adult who had travelled to the U.S.

Public Health told CBC News on Thursday morning the province has seen five cases of measles so far in 2025.

As of Wednesday, there were 1,246 cases of measles in Alberta, which was described as "dangerous territory" by the province's chief medical officer of health, Dr. James Talbot.  

Strang said even if the 2024 provincial numbers don't include every child who had the shot, the percentages need to be higher to fully prevent the spread of measles, which is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread.

When asked about the fact that 21 per cent of two-year-olds in Nova Scotia haven't been fully vaccinated, Strang said that's in part due to the impact of the pandemic, vaccination misinformation and challenges accessing primary care.

He said Public Health has increased the number of clinics for families without a primary care provider.

"In the last few months, with a focus on measles vaccine, we've immunized 5,000 to 6,000 Nova Scotians getting them up-to-date with their measles vaccine. So there's lots of good things happening, but we need to continue these efforts."

Strang said measles outbreaks show the importance of vaccinations.

"Vaccines prevent disease," he said.

Nova Scotia Health describes measles as a "very contagious viral infection that can cause serious illness." It says most cases occur in unvaccinated people who travel to places where measles cases are happening.

Symptoms of measles include:

• Fever.
• A red blotchy rash on the face that spreads down the body.
• Cough, runny nose, red eyes.
• Small white spots that may show up inside the mouth and throat.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, a measles infection can sometimes result in hospitalization.

Older adults who likely had measles as children have natural immunity, Strang said.

Anyone born between 1970 and 1996 may have received only one vaccine, so it's recommended those people get a booster.