Province broadens vaccine eligibility as 24 more measles cases reported in Manitoba

The government has expanded eligibility for the measles vaccine in parts of Manitoba after cases once again doubled in the province.

The Manitoba government said in a bulletin Wednesday afternoon that infants as young as six months old living in the Southern Health area and the Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority will be eligible to get the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, as well as those who travel regularly or have close contact with people in those regions.

The bulletin was released after the province reported in its website that 24 new cases of measles had been confirmed since its last update a week ago. The new provincial numbers show cases as of Saturday.

Forty-four confirmed cases and four probable cases have now been reported in 2025. Last week, the total tally for people who'd contracted the highly contagious disease stood at 20 confirmed and four probable cases.

Before Wednesday's announcement, kids six to 12 months old could only get one dose of the vaccine if they were going to a "measles-endemic country," according to the province's website. Children a year and older are eligible to receive two doses.

Government officials said last week they were mulling lowering the measles vaccine age amid the surge in cases, as the disease continued to spread through community transmission.

Twenty-six of the measles cases were reported in May.

Measles is characterized by a rash that appears on the face and progresses down the body several days after initial symptoms appear — generally between seven to 21 days after exposure. It can be life-threatening, and is more severe in children.

The disease spreads through the air when someone coughs, sneezes or talks. Even a few minutes in the same airspace poses infection risks, and the virus can linger on surfaces for two hours after an infected person leaves.

On Tuesday, public officials announced four new exposure sites in Boissevain, which is about 200 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg.

That includes Goodon Industries, a building materials supplier in the southwestern Manitoba community.

Robert Dyck, co-owner of Goodon Industries, said Wednesday that an employee reached out to local health authorities after contracting the disease. He said about a dozen employees who work in the office may have been exposed.

Health officials have contacted each one of the company's staff, Dyck said, and they're taking a proactive approach to the situation.

"Staff is fully aware, and we're doing everything we need to comply to their wishes," he said.