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Dr. Davinder Singh<\/p>\n
A spike in confirmed cases at the start of 2026 was partially attributed to December holiday gatherings.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say we should expect that something similar could occur,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n
The letter urged parents, guardians and caregivers to stay home, and avoid travel and events if someone in their household has or is believed to have the highly contagious disease.<\/p>\n
Vaccination is the best way to prevent measles, the letter said.<\/p>\n
Singh said measles has been detected in many communities, including the high number of cases in Winkler, Morden and the nearby rural municipalities of Dufferin, Rhineland, Roland, Stanley and Thompson, in the Southern Health region. The region\u2019s measles vaccination rates are the lowest in Manitoba.<\/p>\n
Manitoba had the highest number of detected cases in Canada in 2026 as of March 14, with 319 confirmed and 45 probable infections. The true number is likely much higher.<\/p>\n
Manitoba surpassed its 2025 total (319 confirmed cases and 29 probable) in the first 2 1\/2 months of 2026.<\/p>\n
The latest federal surveillance report (up to March 7) said Manitoba accounted for almost 63 per cent of all confirmed cases in Canada this year.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Most of Manitoba\u2019s cases involved unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children. The province said 20 of 34 patients who were hospitalized were under the age of 10.<\/p>\n Several schools in southern Manitoba were previously identified as measles exposure sites by the province. J.H Bruns Collegiate in Winnipeg was one of the most recent, with an exposure date of March 16.<\/p>\n \u201cThe school is co-operating fully and following public health direction,\u201d Christian Michalik, the superintendent and CEO of Louis Riel School Division, wrote in an email to the Free Press.<\/p>\n He said the division shared Manitoba Health\u2019s letter with families, and continues to work closely with public health.<\/p>\n \u201cAcross the division, schools are reinforcing routine health practices \u2014 encouraging families and staff to follow public health guidance, monitoring attendance, and communicating promptly when directed,\u201d Michalik wrote.<\/p>\n Dan Ward, superintendent of Winkler-based Garden Valley School Division, said the letter was sent to the parents and guardians of all students.<\/p>\n \u201cGarden Valley School Division continues to work closely with Southern Health\u2013Sant\u00e9 Sud to ensure that families and staff who may have been at risk of exposure are notified,\u201d he wrote in an email.<\/p>\n Tony Kreml, superintendent of Seven Oaks School Division in Winnipeg, encouraged parents to follow public health guidance.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t TIM SMITH \/ BRANDON SUN FILES<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Dozens of out-of-town visitors are believed to have contracted measles after attending Brandon’s Ag-Days in January.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a matter of public health, and just getting people information so that they can make educated decisions,\u201d he said about the letter.<\/p>\n Health officials offered similar advice ahead of the six-day Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon, which is expected to welcome about 40,000 visitors, starting March 30.<\/p>\n Officials fear a repeat of Manitoba Ag Days,<\/a> also held in Brandon, where dozens of out-of-town attendees are believed to have contracted measles in January.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Singh said Manitoba\u2019s weekly number of cases fluctuates, but remains high. It\u2019s not yet clear when the outbreak will ease.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will occur at some point, either through increase in immunization\u2026 or because enough people will have gotten measles that, essentially, there\u2019s a large enough group of people that are immune that it can\u2019t really go anywhere,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The measles virus spreads through close contact with an infected person and through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes.<\/p>\n Symptoms include a characteristic red, blotchy rash. Infection can result in serious illness or death.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t LUKAS SCHULZ \/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Letters sent home to families from Manitoba school divisions on behalf of Manitoba Health say that vaccination is the best way to prevent measles.<\/p>\n Two vaccine doses provide 97 per cent protection, officials said. Almost 90 per cent of cases in Manitoba were not vaccinated.<\/p>\n Southern Health had Manitoba\u2019s lowest measles vaccination rates for children in 2024. Singh has said only 55.9 per cent of children in the region had received two doses by age seven.<\/p>\n Uptake was higher in Manitoba\u2019s four other health regions: Winnipeg (80.6 per cent), Prairie Mountain (75.1 per cent), Northern (71.4 per cent) and Interlake-Eastern (69.5 per cent). The provincial average was 72.8 per cent.<\/p>\n chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n Measles letter<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Chris Kitching Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Chris produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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