Measles cases in Canada spark call for pop-up vaccine clinics in Winnipeg's inner city

A community activist wants Manitoba Public Health to set up pop-up immunization clinics in Winnipeg's inner city to make it easier for people to get the measles vaccine — something some experts are recommending to help protect against the highly contagious disease.

There's been a rise in measles cases in Europe and several cases detected in Canada, but none confirmed so far in Manitoba.

"I think asking them, which is the official response, please go to your family doctor and check this out, that's not a reasonable response," said Catherine Flynn, chair of the Point Douglas Residents Committee. "I think what we should be doing is getting some pop-up clinics … and allowing parents and children to get vaccinated immediately." 

Seventeen cases of measles have been confirmed in Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, with more than half in the Montreal area, while one Ontario case has been linked to a high school.

Dr. Joss Reimer, president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association, expressed concern about people getting exposed to the disease during travel to other provinces and countries, especially with the start of spring break just over two weeks away.

"It's a plane ride away," Reimer said in an interview Tuesday morning on CBC's Information Radio with Marcy Markusa. "If folks are going to Europe, if they're going to Quebec, many other parts of the world, it is possible to bring it back, and we know that our vaccine rates are lower than they should be."

WATCH | Dr. Joss Reimer explains the risks of measles:

Dr. Davinder Singh, a provincial medical officer of health, previously told CBC vaccination rates for measles in Manitoba dropped after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said 78.1 per cent of two-year-olds in the province had the vaccine at the end of 2022, compared to about 85.5 per cent in 2020.

The measles virus spreads through close personal contact with an infected person and through the air when someone who's infected coughs or sneezes, according to Manitoba Public Health's website.

It can spread through droplets that can stay in the air for several hours and infection can result in serious illness or death.

Initial symptoms, which may include a fever, runny nose, cough, drowsiness, irritability and red eyes, begin to appear seven to 18 days after exposure. A red, blotchy rash on the face progressing down the body can appear three to seven days after the onset of symptoms.

Reimer said the best defence against the disease is making sure you and your children are up to date on measles shots.

"If you get two doses of a measles vaccine, it's 97 per cent effective," Reimer said. "It's incredibly good at protecting people."