As 6th case of measles found in province, Sask. health authority urges vaccination

Chris Edwards · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 03, 2025 7:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is reporting a sixth lawsuit of measles successful the province. 

The latest lawsuit is an big successful southwest Saskatchewan who precocious traveled done the U.S. and Mexico. They were not immunized for the disease.

To date, determination person been 3 confirmed measles cases successful the southwest of the province, 2 successful the southeast and 1 successful the northwest. 

While the fig of confirmed measles cases successful Saskatchewan is still overmuch little than different provinces similar Alberta and Ontario, the SHA is inactive informing the nationalist of the menace it poses, and is powerfully encouraging residents to get vaccinated for the disease.

"It is highly contagious. It doesn't instrumentality overmuch for it to beryllium dispersed to different folks," said Dr. David Torr, a wellness serviceman with the SHA.

"It's not similar influenza wherever it's conscionable droplets oregon adjacent with COVID, measles conscionable is very, precise easy transmissible done the air." 

Measles tin besides beryllium transmitted done a idiosyncratic touching their look aft contacting a contaminated surface, wherever it tin past for up to 2 hours aft contact.

Symptoms of the measles microorganism see fever, coughing and a runny nose. As the illness develops successful the body, tiny achromatic spots whitethorn look wrong the rima and throat. About 3 to 7 days aft symptoms begin, a reddish blotchy rash tin make connected the victim's face.

There is nary known cure for measles, but Dr. Torr emphasized the effectiveness of the vaccine, which is readily available. The cardinal to stopping the dispersed of the virus, helium said, was reaching a captious wide of vaccinated people. 

"If we had 95% crossed the committee of immunization, we would person highly bully herd immunity," helium said. "But we person specified a variation, depending connected which country oregon which small tiny geography you look astatine that varies thing from 40, 50, 60, 80 per cent."

Schools are not requiring students to beryllium vaccinated to attend, but the SHA is powerfully encouraging students to get vaccinated. It provides the vaccine escaped of complaint to Saskatchewan residents who were not vaccinated arsenic children. Residents unsure of their vaccination presumption tin cheque it by visiting MySaskHealthRecord.

The SHA is advising residents that if they person symptoms of measles oregon request measles testing, they should not sojourn a session oregon hospital. Instead, they should telephone HealthLine 811 for instructions and guidance. 

Residents tin besides sojourn the measles accusation leafage connected the SHA website.