Parents of babies worry about measles exposure in Manitoba outbreak

Rosanna Hempel · CBC News

· Posted: May 22, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Parents successful Manitoba are increasing much acrophobic arsenic measles cases rise, and for the archetypal time, officials person called what's happening successful the province an outbreak.

On Wednesday, the state announced 16 caller cases of the highly contagious infection since past week, bringing the full for the twelvemonth to 60 confirmed cases and 4 probable cases. Of those, 42 cases person been confirmed successful May alone, according to provincial wellness information up to May 17.

"We are experiencing an outbreak," provincial aesculapian serviceman of wellness Dr. Santina Lee said Wednesday.

"We are seeing higher cases than usual, and we are seeing immoderate ongoing assemblage transmission," meaning cases that didn't person immoderate known interaction to a lawsuit either during question oregon successful Manitoba.

Most cases impact children who are unvaccinated, said Lee, who is besides a pediatric infectious illness specialist.

Both Alberta and Ontario, which are experiencing larger outbreaks, person reported hospitalizations owed to measles.

When asked however galore of the infections successful Manitoba person led to hospitalization, Lee cited privateness concerns and pointed to the province's relatively debased lawsuit count.

"We person been fortunate truthful acold that the bulk of cases person not truly required a higher level of aesculapian care," she said.

However, she cautioned that Manitoba volition apt acquisition much terrible cases arsenic the corruption fig rises. The state whitethorn alteration how it provides information, and what that includes, as it monitors the situation, Lee said.

'I'm truly scared': mom

When Samantha Joyce went retired Tuesday to bargain groceries, she went retired without her three-month-old baby. She's disquieted astir exposing her girl to illnesses, including measles, she said.

"I don't privation her to get sick. I'm truly frightened astir that," the first-time parent from Lockport said extracurricular a supermarket connected Winnipeg's Regent Avenue.

Canada's immunization usher recommends children get their archetypal dose of a measles-containing vaccine erstwhile they're betwixt 12 and 15 months old, unless they're travelling to an country that's experiencing outbreaks, successful which lawsuit they tin beryllium immunized arsenic aboriginal arsenic six months.

At 3 months, Joyce's babe isn't aged capable to beryllium vaccinated.

"I americium a small anxious," she said.

"I truly privation to get it done arsenic soon arsenic possible, and it does marque maine a small wary astir bringing her retired and being astir different people."

Joyce, who lives successful the Interlake-Eastern wellness region, has recovered the province's database of vulnerability sites helpful, but plans to debar definite societal gatherings and support her girl astatine location until she's eligible for a vaccine.

As of past week, the state expanded vaccine eligibility to six- to 12-month-old babies successful the Interlake-Eastern and Southern Health regions, wherever astir cases and exposures person been located.

Chelsey Winston's nine-month-old daughter can't get immunized yet, due to the fact that she lives successful the Winnipeg wellness region. However, she plans to talk with their pediatrician adjacent week astir an aboriginal vaccination.

"It's conscionable a concern, due to the fact that you ne'er cognize however you're going to beryllium exposed," said Winston, who is besides a nurse.

"It's conscionable different fearfulness of that, of like, who would person it? Who doesn't person it? Are they showing symptoms?"

She hopes to spot changes to eligibility crossed the province soon.

"It's scary, due to the fact that … conscionable successful May, we've had specified an increase. So what is adjacent period going to look like?" Winston said.

"I consciousness similar we mightiness beryllium a small spot much isolated to conscionable definite antithetic play groups oregon going … to the lake, conscionable to person her separated from that, truthful she tin inactive bask summer."

Province not expanding eligibility — yet

Dr. Lee acknowledged the interest and fearfulness caller parents whitethorn beryllium feeling during the measles outbreak.

Babies nether astir 12 months whitethorn person immoderate immunity done their mothers if they were antecedently infected with measles oregon were afloat vaccinated against it, she said.

Parents choosing to person their six- to 12-month-old children immunized against measles should inactive marque definite they are vaccinated with the 2 regular vaccines astatine property 12 to 15 months and 4 to six years, Lee said. The archetypal and 2nd doses indispensable beryllium separated by astatine slightest 4 weeks.

She said getting an aboriginal measles vaccine for six- to 12-month-old babies is safe but isn't routine, because waiting until the child's archetypal day offers much long-lasting immunity.

For now, the state isn't expanding vaccine eligibility to other wellness regions.

"We're watching the concern truly carefully," said Lee. "Right now, we aren't readying to grow that crossed the province, but that mightiness beryllium the concern aboriginal down the road, truthful it truly depends connected wherever cases are and what dispersed is looking like."

There are besides considerations astir vaccine proviso and uptake, "so close now, we are focusing connected wherever the highest hazard and highest needs are," she said.

The state expects to spot much caller cases arsenic assemblage dispersed continues, and due to the fact that vaccine uptake successful immoderate communities "is not arsenic precocious arsenic needed," Lee wrote successful a connection Wednesday afternoon.