Doctors say some Sask. adults might need measles booster shots

Colleen Silverthorn · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 02, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Saskatchewan adults mightiness not person capable immunity to the latest measles outbreak and are being asked to cheque their vaccination records and get a booster changeable if needed.

Cases of measles, which is highly contagious and tin pb to superior complications, person been connected the emergence crossed Canada precocious and there were 3 cases in Saskatchewan successful March.

Although the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) is recommending radical cheque their vaccination records, determination is 1 drawback — the SHA doesn't person puerility immunization records for anyone anterior to 1978.

"It tin beryllium truly confusing if you don't person entree to those records," said Ryan Meili, a household doc practicing successful Saskatoon. "Maybe you person a past of being told erstwhile you were a kid you had measles, but it was ne'er documented." 

Booster shots

Anyone calved betwixt 1970 and 1996 needs a booster changeable to beryllium afloat protected against measles, according to guidance Meili said the SHA has fixed doctors.

That's due to the fact that the protocol during those years was for conscionable 1 dose of the vaccine and Meili said studies person shown 2 doses, the modular since 1996,  provides amended extortion against catching and spreading the virus. 

"The archetypal dose did alteration the transmission. But past getting that 2nd dose into the docket truly did the trick," Meili said.

Joseph Blondeau, caput of Clinical Microbiology astatine Saskatoon's Royal University Hospital and provincial pb for objective microbiology with the SHA, said parents should besides marque definite their children are up to day connected their vaccinations.

According to the province, lone 75.5 per cent of Saskatchewan children received some recommended doses of the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine by their 2nd day successful 2024.

Blondeau said that fig should beryllium person to 97 per cent to execute herd immunity, which is erstwhile capable of the colonisation is either vaccinated oregon has acquired immunity to forestall illness spread.

"Measles is simply a highly, highly, highly contagious virus,"  Blondeau said.

"If you've not been immunized, the proposal is for 2 doses. If you're partially immunized, the proposal is for a azygous boost." 

Who doesn't request a booster?

Anyone calved earlier 1970 is considered immune.

That's due to the fact that measles infections were truthful wide anterior to nationalist vaccination programs, that anyone live anterior to 1970 is presumed to person caught the illness and acquired beingness immunity.

But there's a caveat.

Blondeau said existent Government of Canada guidelines urge radical calved anterior to 1970, but successful a precocious hazard group, including health-care workers oregon radical travelling internationally, mightiness request a booster shot.

People successful that property and hazard radical should speech to their household doc astir getting a booster changeable oregon getting humor enactment done to cheque for immunity, Blondeau said.

Those aforesaid older adults should besides look into their immunity present that Saskatchewan has 3 confirmed cases of measles, Blondeau said.

Anyone with documented impervious of either contracting measles, oregon receiving 2 doses of the MMR vaccine doesn't request a booster shot.

"If you person wide grounds that you had measles and that's documented somewhere, you person lifelong immunity," Blondeau said.

Childhood immunization records

Blondeau said radical tin cheque with their household doc to spot if their puerility immunization records are available.

The SHA besides has links for radical successful antithetic areas of the state to petition puerility immunization records.

However the SHA doesn't person records for anyone calved anterior to 1978.

"It is simply a small unclear what precisely the SHA is recommending successful that lawsuit if determination are no records. But the wide effect would beryllium to springiness that archetypal dose successful the lack of immoderate records," Meili said.

For those with nary records, Blondeau said determination is nary harm successful getting the MMR vaccine adjacent if you had measles arsenic a child, oregon mightiness person already had 2 doses.

"These vaccines are incredibly safe," Blondeau said.

Who should cheque for immunity?

Blondeau said that's a speech radical tin person with their doctor.

And it's 1 helium precocious had to see erstwhile travelling retired of the country.

Blondeau said his wife's puerility vaccination presumption and immunity weren't clear.

Despite his expertise successful the area, Blondeau said they decided to instrumentality the proposal of their health-care provider, who suggested getting the booster changeable alternatively of checking for immunity done humor work.

"We conscionable phoned and asked for an opinion. We conscionable followed the recommendation."

What is measles?

Measles is simply a highly infectious microorganism that is dispersed done the air. Symptoms mostly see fever, runny nose, rash and cough, but tin pb to terrible complications including respiratory nonaccomplishment and swelling of the brain.

In the astir terrible cases, measles tin pb to death.

It was declared that measles had been eliminated from Canada successful 1998 owed to the occurrence of nationalist immunization programs.

However, declining vaccination rates person resulted successful a resurgence of the disease.

A measles outbreak successful Europe past twelvemonth resulted successful 127,000 infections and 38 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.