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Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Some southern Manitoba households ignored public health measles directives, documents reveal
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. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. 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 Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Global News
28-06-2025
- Global News
Public hearing ordered of alleged racist posts among Nelson police officers
For three years, the Nelson Police Department has been at the centre of an investigation into alleged racist posts in a private WhatsApp chat. Now, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has ordered three current and three retired officers from the department to take part in a public hearing. We first reported the allegations in 2022, when eight officers were initially under investigation, which was conducted by the Vancouver Police Department. It resulted in two officers being cleared of wrongdoing. Six were found to have committed discreditable conduct. 1:14 Nearly half the officers at the Nelson Police Department are under investigation In ordering the hearing, complaint commissioner Prahbu Rajan said, 'There needs to be clarity for the officers involved in this case, and for policing more generally, about whether group chats between police officers are protected and when they bring discredit to their police department or undermine a respectful workplace culture.' Story continues below advertisement Professor Arthur Schafer, founding director for the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba commented about the case, saying, 'It's important because when police officers have a racist or sexist attitudes, when they're prejudiced, when they're bigoted, those attitudes are likely to leak into their conduct as police officers and to prejudice their ability to act professionally.' 1:41 Nelson police officers facing discipline following report on racist messages The case faced delays due to a constitutional challenge, with some officers arguing their rights were contravened when their chat logs were obtained. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Schafer said that when the adjudication of the case is finished, it will be an occasion for reflection, 'to think about how we recruit new members of the police force, how we train them, what attitudes and values we inculcate as they're learning how to become police officers.' Dates for the public hearing are still to be determined. It will be overseen by retired judge Brent Hoy.
