Measles cases in New Brunswick climb to 43: Department of Health

The number of people in New Brunswick who have measles is growing and the expectation is there are more to come.

New Brunswick’s health department says, as of Thursday, the number of confirmed measles cases in the province is 43, six more than had been reported the day before.

Earlier this week, the Department of Health confirmed 26 cases.

The health department says every confirmed case is related to the initial travel-associated case reported on Oct. 24.

“So, New Brunswick is not alone in this. We’ve seen this across Canada, in the U.S. and frankly, across the planet,” said epidemiologist Dr. Christopher Labos. “And Europe is, in some respects, probably even harder hit than we are.”

Of the 43 cases, 36 involve people who are aged 19 and under.

Dr. Mark McKelvie, regional medical officer of health, says many of the cases involve people who are “quite sick.”

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“In some cases, we’ve heard back from them that they did not anticipate to be this sick,” said McKelvie. “And no one does, no one chooses this in advance. Unfortunately when you encounter it, it can be more severe than we’ve perceived it to be.”

In early November, the Department of Health declared a measles outbreak in New Brunswick’s Zone 3, which includes Fredericton and the upper Saint John River Valley.

Vaccine clinics

Horizon Health continues to offer vaccination clinics in Zone 3, which are scheduled at the following times and locations:

• Horizon’s Public Health office at 300 St. Mary’s St. in Fredericton on Nov. 15 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Stanley Health Centre at 9 Limekiln Rd. in Stanley on Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Public Health is encouraging people to book an appointment through the provincial scheduler or by calling Tele-Services at 1-833-437-1424, available Monday to Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

While people born before 1970 are generally considered to be protected from measles, Public Health says people born later who have not received two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine should get vaccinated.

The vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) is for babies aged 12-to-18 months.

Measles symptoms

Public Health says anyone experiencing symptoms should isolate and contact Tele-Care 811 by telephone and follow the operator’s instructions. These people should not go to an emergency room, doctor’s office or clinic.

Anyone who is seriously ill and needs to go to the emergency room should call ahead to reduce the risk of spreading the disease.

Symptoms of measles may include:

• fever
• cough
• sore and/or red eyes
• runny nose
• tiny white spots in the mouth

Within three-to-seven days, Public Health says a red, blotchy rash will appear, first on the face and then spreading to the body, arms and legs.

The virus is transmitted through the air or by contact with nasal or throat droplets from an infected person.

Last year, there were only 12 measles cases in Canada, but a sharp increase in outbreaks has been reported across North America throughout 2024.

According to Labos, the steep rise worldwide started after the pandemic.

“I think a lot of this can be laid at the feet of flagging vaccination rates because a lot of the misinformation that now circulates, especially with regard to the measles vaccine,” said Labos.

More information, including new potential exposures, can be found online.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.