How worried should Sask. people be about measles?

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 12, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

When measles cases started resurfacing this year, pediatrician Ayishi Kurji had to brushwood up connected her reading, due to the fact that Canada had declared the contagious illness eliminated backmost successful 1998.

"I've ne'er seen measles due to the fact that it's not thing that's been around," she said successful the latest occurrence of CBC's This is Saskatchewan podcast. "Most of the clip it's a viral corruption that radical get implicit beauteous quick, but it tin person truly devastating consequences and that's wherefore it's truthful scary."

Health experts accidental vaccination rates of 95 per cent would represent bully herd immunity, but successful immoderate geographic areas, vaccination rates could beryllium arsenic debased arsenic 40 oregon 50 per cent.

On apical of that, fractional a twelve cases of measles person cropped up precocious successful Saskatchewan.

• As 6th lawsuit of measles recovered successful province, Sask. wellness authorization urges vaccination

Statistics amusement 1 successful 4 oregon 5 radical who get measles volition extremity up hospitalized, portion 1 successful a 1000 could look encephalitis oregon inflammation astir the brain, Kurji said, noting different semipermanent consequences see the hazard of deafness oregon blindness.

Just however contagious is measles?

When calculating however contagious a illness is, experts usage an R0 value, which is the fig of radical that 1 infected idiosyncratic volition walk connected a microorganism to, connected average. For example, 1 idiosyncratic who got COVID would infect 4 to six different radical connected average. With measles, that fig rises to 12 to 18 people.

"There's immoderate statistic that accidental that 90 per cent of radical who are exposed to it, if you're not vaccinated, are going to get results," Kurji said.

Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Saqib Shahab stresses that for those that are unvaccinated, measles is the astir highly contagious illness that exists. He besides noted that measles has lone shown up successful 0.1 per cent of radical who are afloat protected with vaccines.

"If they bash hap [in vaccinated people], it's a mild rash and it truly doesn't transmit further," helium said.

Shahab said the main interest from a nationalist wellness standpoint is ensuring everyone is protected by making definite their vaccinations are up-to-date and complete. Adults calved betwixt 1970 and 1996 whitethorn person lone received 1 vaccination and are encouraged to get a 2nd booster changeable astatine a nationalist wellness clinic.

"If you're afloat vaccinated, you should not beryllium concerned," Shahab said.

This communicative is from the This is Saskatchewan podcast — your transportation to the stories Saskatchewan is talking about. Every week, we screen section issues that matter. Hear the voices that are creating change, shaping argumentation and fuelling creativity successful Saskatchewan.