Saskatchewan is now part of an unprecedented measles outbreak where cases have been rising rapidly, the province’s chief medical health officer said Thursday.
Dr. Saqib Shahab said there have been 27 measles cases since mid-March, with 15 of those occurring in the last week. There have been two hospitalizations, Shahab added.
Shahab said most infections involve children and all but one case involves the unvaccinated.
“We should not be seeing measles in 2025,” he told reporters. “That we are seeing some outbreaks in specific communities as if it was the 1950s means that the social contract of keeping each other safe and protected is broken.”
Shahab said infections are spreading within the province. Most cases are in rural communities in central and southern parts of Saskatchewan, he said. Normally, Saskatchewan would see very few cases from people who contracted the virus while travelling abroad.
“We are now entering a phase of what will likely be ongoing cases every day,” he said.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority released an advisory Thursday notifying the public that they may have been exposed to measles this week in Regina at some businesses.
“It is a pretty miserable illness,” he said. “We all have a role in keeping our communities and schools and daycares safe, and to protect persons at high risk due to illness.”
Shahab said vaccination is the only way to prevent measles. He encouraged those who haven’t had their two doses to get them.
“Many parents, who themselves had the privilege of getting vaccinated, are choosing not to get their children vaccinated because of all the misinformation and disinformation floating around on social media,” he said. “That is really tragic.
He adds the Saskatchewan Health Authority is working to make the vaccine available throughout the province.
Shahab said anyone with symptoms of measles, which include fever and rash, should phone the provincial health line at 811. The health authority has asked those with symptoms not to go to clinics to prevent the virus from spreading.
Vaccination appointments can be made with local public health offices.
“The power to stop (measles) is up to each of us, who make decisions for ourselves to get vaccinated and decisions for our children who are unable to make decisions for themselves,” Shahab said.
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