Expert warns of rising risk of measles in Saskatchewan as vaccination rates drop

Jeffery Tram · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 18, 2025 2:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Saskatchewan's archetypal measles lawsuit of 2025 has wellness experts urging residents to guarantee their vaccinations are up to date. 

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) confirmed the lawsuit past week successful Swift Current. It's the 2nd reported lawsuit successful the state successful the past 5 years.

Dr. Athena McConnell, a pediatric infectious illness specializer astatine the University of Saskatchewan, said the lawsuit isn't astonishing fixed the disease's planetary presence.

"Certainly, determination are tons of countries wherever measles has not been eradicated," McConnell said. "We don't adjacent person to look precise far. We have outbreaks successful the United States, and truthful [I'm] not wholly amazed that we person a lawsuit successful Swift Current."

The lawsuit comes amid a decline successful measles vaccination rates successful Saskatchewan. According to the Saskatchewan government, the percent of children receiving some recommended doses of the measles vaccine by property 2 has dropped to 75.5 per cent successful 2024 from 80.2 per cent successful 2020. Coverage by property 7 has besides declined, to 87.4 per cent successful 2024 from 90.4 per cent successful 2020.

McConnell said measles is highly contagious and tin dispersed earlier symptoms appear.

"The astir communal symptoms of measles [are] fever, on with cough and runny nose," she said. "Some radical whitethorn get red, watery eyes. Those are each symptoms that commencement adjacent earlier you interruption retired with a rash."

The SHA continues to way down and trial adjacent contacts of the infected person. People who were astatine imaginable vulnerability sites successful Swift Current person been advised to show for symptoms and question aesculapian attraction if they develop.

McConnell emphasized that vaccination is the champion protection.

"If you've had each of the recommended fig of doses, your hazard for getting measles and getting a complication from measles is beauteous debased — it's adjacent to zero," she said. "If you person not had each of the measles vaccines that you should person had, delight deliberation precise cautiously astir getting up to date."

Residents with symptoms are advised to telephone HealthLine 811 oregon consult a physician. If symptoms worsen, they should telephone 911 oregon spell to an exigency room, notifying unit of imaginable exposure.

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