Health officials on high alert, but no reports of measles so far after March break in N.S.

Anjuli Patil · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 30, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Two weeks aft March break, Nova Scotia's wellness authorization says determination inactive hasn't been immoderate sign of measles successful the province in 2025.

Health officials had anticipated cases of the highly contagious unwellness implicit the weeklong holiday after spikes successful parts of Canada and the U.S.

"Of people we are precise alert and monitoring the concern intimately successful different provinces arsenic good arsenic successful different countries and truthful truly the connection we're trying to springiness to Nova Scotians is it's truly champion to beryllium prepared and beryllium aware," said Dr. Cristin Muecke, the bluish zone's aesculapian serviceman of wellness for Nova Scotia Health.

"If you request to get your vaccinations updated … present is simply a bully time."

According to the March 28 update of a play summary of measles and rubella cases successful Canada, 496 measles cases — 410 confirmed and 86 probable — person been reported in 2025. Most were successful Ontario, though determination person been cases successful Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

Nova Scotia Health describes measles arsenic a "very contagious viral corruption that tin origin superior illness." While the hazard of becoming infected in Nova Scotia is low, it says, "most cases hap successful unvaccinated radical who person travelled to places wherever measles cases are occurring."

Initial symptoms include fever, cough, runny chemoreceptor and red, watery eyes. Small achromatic spots whitethorn look wrong the rima and pharynx 2 to 3 days aft symptoms begin. Three to 7 days aft the onset of symptoms, a rash that looks similar tiny reddish spots tin make connected the face and dispersed down to the body, arms and legs. The rash tin past 4 to 7 days. 

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, a measles corruption tin sometimes effect successful hospitalization.

Muecke said it tin instrumentality up to 3 weeks for symptoms to appear. She said nationalist wellness is acceptable to respond should cases originate successful Nova Scotia, and is moving intimately with superior and acute attraction providers to marque definite they're connected the lookout for cases, particularly successful radical who person travelled extracurricular the state and are undervaccinated.

Muecke said it's recommended that radical marque definite their vaccinations are up to day earlier they travel.

Children nether 12 months typically aren't vaccinated for measles, she said, but if families are readying to question to an country of interest with a kid from six to 12 months old, the child can person their vaccination early. She said radical who aren't alert of their vaccination presumption tin beryllium fixed an other dose.

She said accusation astir measles is available on Nova Scotia Health's website and people looking to publication a changeable can call 1-833-797-7772.

The astir caller information disposable from the National Immunization Coverage Survey in 2021 showed that 93.6 per cent of children successful Nova Scotia had had astatine slightest their archetypal dose of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella.

On Wednesday, Nova Scotia Health Minister Michelle Thompson said a nationalist consciousness run for measles is already underway done societal media and schools.

"Schools are a truly effectual mode to pass with young families, sending notes location saying, 'Are you definite you're immunized?' and those types of things," Thompson told reporters. "Public wellness is truthful sophisticated, they're utilized to reaching retired to communities."