Sask. Health Authority confirms second measles case in Swift Current

4 week_ago 15

Saskatchewan·New

Saskatchewan wellness officials are again urging radical to get vaccinated aft a 2nd lawsuit of the measles is confirmed and a 3rd lawsuit is suspected successful the province's southwest.

Health officials besides investigating a 3rd suspected lawsuit successful southwest area

Jeremy Warren · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 21, 2025 10:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

A baby's ft showing symptoms of measles is held by big hands.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has confirmed a 2nd lawsuit of the measles successful Swift Current and is investigating a third suspected lawsuit of the unsafe microorganism successful the southwest area.

One lawsuit involves an unvaccinated kid and the others impact 2 adults with unconfirmed immunization statuses. The infections are apt linked to planetary travel, but much cases locally means a higher hazard of assemblage transmission, according to SHA aesculapian wellness serviceman Dr. David Torr.

"It tin look anyplace successful the province. It is accelerating," Torr said successful a virtual quality conference on Friday. "This is truly ramping up beauteous accelerated crossed the satellite and crossed our country, and we whitethorn spot the aforesaid successful this province."

The 3rd suspected lawsuit is not related to the archetypal 2 cases, the doc noted.

Before this month, Saskatchewan had 2 confirmed measles cases successful the past 10 years.

Children receiving some recommended doses of the measles vaccine by property 2 dropped to 75.5 per cent successful 2024 from 80.2 per cent successful 2020, according to the provincial government. Coverage by property 7 is besides connected the decline, to 87.4 per cent successful 2024 from 90.4 per cent successful 2020.

Vaccination rates alteration crossed the province, Torr said.

"We request 95 per cent of the colonisation immunized to truly accidental that we are harmless against measles successful this province," helium said. "Some different areas person truly mediocre vaccination rates arsenic debased arsenic 30 per cent."

What you request to cognize astir measles successful Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan presently has a measles immunization complaint of 90 per cent. Experts hold it needs to beryllium higher to execute herd immunity.

Torr added the SHA in the coming days volition hang posters successful wellness facilities and distribute information to health-care workers and schools arsenic portion of a nationalist consciousness campaign.

"The vaccine is mode implicit 90 per cent effective and truly 1 of the champion vaccines we person connected the market," Torr said. "It is harmless and we've been utilizing it for many, galore years without a problem."

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

What is measles?

Measles begins similar galore different viral diseases: a fever, cough, runny nose, irritability and watery eyes. After a fewer days, achromatic spots tin look successful the backmost of the mouth. Then, a red blotchy rash mightiness develop on the look and spread down the assemblage astir 3 to 7 days after other symptoms begin.

Why is measles dangerous?

The measles microorganism is considered to beryllium 1 of the astir contagious wellness threats due to the fact that it spreads easy though the air, transmits earlier radical adjacent amusement symptoms and tin linger wrong enclosed spaces for up to 2 hours. Measles tin besides person superior broadside effects, causing receptor infections, pneumonia and, successful much superior cases, encephalon infections and perchance death.

"You tin get a batch of complications including inflammation of the encephalon oregon the encephalon linings giving you either an encephalitis oregon meningitis, which could pb to convulsions," Torr said. "It is simply a terrible disease, unless you are immunized."

Who tin person booster doses?

The Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine is normally provided successful 2 doses at 12 months and 18 months of age.

Anyone calved earlier 1970 is considered to beryllium immune due to the fact that they were apt exposed to measles successful puerility erstwhile determination was nary measles vaccine. As a result, they're considered to person earthy immunity.

People calved aft 1970 are considered to beryllium afloat immunized, if they've received 2 doses of the MMR vaccine.

How to cheque your immunization status

Immunization presumption tin beryllium checked done the online MySaskHealthRecord system.

If determination are nary records there, radical should interaction their local nationalist wellness office, which can help get their records successful order.