Telephone town hall to be held in Manitoba’s measles hot zone

Manitoba will hold a telephone town hall Wednesday night for residents of the health region with the highest number of measles cases in the province.

Dr. Jazz Atwal, deputy chief provincial public health officer, will give an update on the outbreak and take questions from participants from the Southern Health region.

The province said some residents will receive phone calls inviting them to take part in the event, which is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. People who want to join can register via the Engage MB website.

Similar sessions were held in Manitoba during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wednesday’s telephone town hall is Manitoba Health’s latest effort to discuss measles and vaccination in the Southern Health region, where officials have said the majority of the province’s cases have been detected in Winkler, Morden and the rural municipalities of Dufferin, Rhineland, Roland, Stanley and Thompson.

The region’s measles vaccination rates are the lowest in Manitoba.

Manitoba has reported the highest number of confirmed measles cases in Canada in 2026, with 589 confirmed and 78 probable infections up to May 23, eclipsing last year’s totals of 319 confirmed and 29 probable cases. The true number of infections is believed to be much higher.

The province said 49 people have been hospitalized since the province’s outbreak began in February 2025. Four spent time in intensive care. No deaths were reported.

The majority of confirmed cases are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children who’ve been exposed in their communities, the province said.

About 82 per cent of people who had confirmed cases were not vaccinated, Manitoba Health’s online dashboard says.

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About five per cent had one dose and eight per cent had two doses. The vaccination status of the remaining cases was listed as “unknown.”

The measles virus spreads through close contact with an infected person and through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms include a characteristic red, blotchy rash.

An infected person can spread the virus from four days before the rash appears until four days after, the province said.

Infection can lead to serious health complications, especially for young children, pregnant women and girls, and people with weakened immune systems.

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