EDITORIAL: Measles remains a threat in Manitoba

When COVID-19 stalked our streets, homes, hospitals and care homes, there was a great deal of anger.

Those who chose to ignore the science and resist vaccination angered those who got the needle.

After all, it was tough to understand what seemed like an unbelievable level of arrogance, and such an uncaring nature. Many who moved heaven and earth to keep the vulnerable safe simply couldn’t comprehend those who refused.

Looking back on that time period, which began in early 2020, it’s easy to see why.

COVID-19 was and still is scary. In Canada it’s claimed the lives of between 8.1 an 8.6 per 1,000 people annually from 2021 to 2023.

As of March 6, it’s estimated that there’s been nearly 4,000 COVID-19 deaths in our country.

The reaction to measles spreading through our province has been very different.

And again, the reason is easy to see.

While there is still no respect for those who choose to endanger their children’s lives, anger seems to have been replaced with pity.

We feel sad for people who don’t realize the connection between vaccinations and a disease that can prove fatal.

Now its degree of danger is less than that of COVID.

It’s estimated that one to 10 out of 10,000 will die from measles.

Complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis (brain swelling) can be the result.

Canada had basically eradicated measles in 1998, which meant there were no continuous endemic transmissions.

But something changed. As we see in the U.S. with the crazed ramblings of Trump and RFK Jr., there are hucksters out there with an agenda who either don’t understand the science themselves or have something to gain by the people not understanding it.

It’s this type of thinking that has led to media organizations across the province being sent measles updates every time there is a new case in a public setting.

These reports come sporadically, sometimes once a week, sometimes every couple of days.

They can highlight one case or multiple cases.

The last one, as of press time, arrived on Sept. 26. It highlighted four different exposure times at a Winnipeg school, one at a medical clinic and another at a fast-food restaurant.

We share those at The Carillon if they’ve been noted in Manitoba’s southeast.

That’s been relatively rare with the lion’s share taking place in the Winkler area so far.

Like any other health risk, it’s up to all of us to decide how to handle it.

There is however a moral and correct way to take on measles.

Following the science means accessing vaccines.

In some cases it means people have to swallow their pride, admit (at least to themselves that they’ve been fooled) and do the right thing.

But there are other things people can and should do regardless of vaccine status.

Manitoba Health encourages people to reduce exposures with others, especially anyone who has a weakened immune system or is unimmunized from the fifth day of exposure to the 21st day after the latest exposure.

Watch for symptoms if you’ve been exposed.

There are people who cannot get the vaccine and it’s also important to recognize that.

Infants less than six months old and those with weakened immune systems should not be vaccinated. They can, however, in some cases, access preventative treatment within six days of exposure.

Like many health risks, Manitobans currently have the freedom to decide how to handle them.

We can choose whether we drink, smoke, use drugs, eat vegetables or exercise.

As parents we also choose those things for our children.

No amount of research and science will create a smoke free, drug free, or physically active province.

We would be naïve to assume that vaccines would also become universally accepted.

But we can do better.

According to an October 2024 article by the Canadian Journal of Public Health, vaccination rates for two-year-olds dipped from 2019 to 2023. That number for one dose of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) decreased from 89.5 percent to 82.5 percent.

That study’s conclusion was simple.

“These declines are of concern and suggest that health-care professionals should provide parents with accurate information regarding vaccines and encourage them to have their children vaccinated and keep vaccinations up to date,” it stated.

That’s an understatement indeed.

But education must continue to be stressed.

Directing anger and shame at those who still resist simply hasn’t worked.

We know misinformation is to blame for many of those opposed to vaccines, but with diligence and patience perhaps we can reverse this trend.