New Brunswick declares measles outbreak over

After two months and dozens of cases, New Brunswick has declared the measles outbreak to be over.

A confirmed travel-related case of the measles was reported in late October. The government officially declared an outbreak in Zone 3 (which includes Fredericton and the upper Saint John River valley) on Nov. 1, according to a news release.

Measles spread to 50 people and the last confirmed case was on Nov. 26. During the outbreak, the New Brunswick government immunized 239 people at 30 special clinics.

“I extend my sincere appreciation to the dedicated team of public health professionals and many other health system partners who worked tirelessly to bring this outbreak under control,” said Dr. Yves Léger, acting chief medical officer of health, in the release. “This situation is a good reminder that diseases that are happening elsewhere in the world can quickly arrive on our doorstep, and of the importance of being up to date on our immunizations to protect ourselves from these vaccine-preventable infections.”

Nearly 30 per cent of children starting kindergarten in New Brunswick did not meet vaccination rules, according to The Canadian Press. The vaccine that protects against measles is part of the publicly-funded schedule for babies aged 12 to 18 months.

In 2023, there were a total of 12 confirmed measles cases reported across Canada.

-With files from The Canadian Press and Nick Moore

For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.