Some southern Manitoba households ignored public health measles directives, documents reveal

Winnipeg Free Press

3 days ago

Public health officials are up against brazen rebellion as they tackle a recent resurgence in measles.
Newly released government documents shed light on the challenges related to limiting the spread of the highly infectious disease in Manitoba.
Southern Health-Santé Sud has advised that area households are ignoring public health directives, as per a series of May briefings obtained by the Free Press via a freedom of information request.
'Some affected families are allowing their unimmunized, asymptomatic children who are household contacts to cases to attend school,' they each state.
Seven public schools — elementary buildings in Gretna, Dugald, Plum Coulee, Grunthal (Green Valley School) and Schanzenfeld (both Prairie Dale and Southwood schools), as well as Lorette Collegiate, a Grades 9-12 school just south of Winnipeg — were exposure sites in the spring.
Three others were alerted about measles activity due to overlapping school bus routes. A Winnipeg-based home school was also affected by a positive case.
Unvaccinated close contacts are supposed to isolate for up to 21 days.
Bioethicist Arthur Schafer said vaccine hesitancy was 'aggravated' by COVID-19 pandemic-related backlash against public health mandates and misinformation lumping all shots together.
'Whatever they think of the COVID vaccine, the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine is proven safe and effective and it really is a moral obligation of parents to protect our children and to protect the community,' said the founding director of the University of Manitoba's Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics.
The rate of children who have received the MMR vaccine, which has proven to be about 97 per cent effective, is trending downwards in Manitoba.
The latest available uptake data shows 65 per cent of seven-year-olds had MMR coverage in 2023. That figure was 74 per cent in 2020, the same as it was a decade ago.
Schafer noted the few individuals who do contract the virus despite being immunized almost always have milder symptoms and are less infectious.
As far as he is concerned, the province is overdue for launching a public health campaign that touts the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine.
A total of 165 confirmed patients with measles — for which there is no cure — have been identified in Manitoba since the start of 2025.
There were 10 additional 'probable' cases at the end of July.
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said it's troubling whenever residents ignore public health guidance, providing evidence that more work is required on the part of the province.
'We are in an era of misinformation and disinformation and we have to work really hard to make sure that people have accurate, science-based information to make the most informed health decisions for themselves and their families,' Asagwara said.
The public service informed the minister's office in a June 2 measles update that it had identified an event in southern Manitoba with 'high potential' to be a super-spreader situation.
'Public Health is monitoring but does not anticipate significant co-operation from the group on contacts of the case,' the internal briefing said.
Asagwara, a former nurse, said public health officials are already doing outreach to build trust with families and distributing educational materials on vaccines.
Letters outlining the current outbreak and tips to protect families have been written in English, French and Low German.
In the wake of reports that close contacts were flouting isolation requirements, Southern Health-Santé Sud drafted a reminder to improve compliance in the region.
The followup advised recipients about the severity of measles, particularly for high-risk patients, and urged them to protect their communities.
Most patients recover from measles within several weeks, but an infection can lead to an ear infection, pneumonia, seizures, brain damage or death. The disease is particularly deadly for children.
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Manitoba's largest hospital began actively screening visitors for measles, which typically presents as a red, blotchy rash, earlier this summer. Signage has also been posted across the Health Sciences Centre campus.
The extra step is taking place via intercom and at reception desks inside the women's and children's hospitals, neonatal intensive care unit and outpatient clinics, among other sites.
Asked about those changes, which went into effect on July 7, a spokesperson for Doctors Manitoba said they should be treated as 'a wake-up call for Manitobans.'
– With files from Malak Abas
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Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter
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