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Manitoba Health Overwhelmed: Flu & Measles Surge
12 Feb
Summary
- Manitoba's health system is strained by high flu and measles rates.
- Thousands of emergency room visits are due to respiratory illnesses.
- Measles outbreak linked to Ag Days exposure in Brandon.
Manitoba's healthcare system is currently grappling with an unprecedented influx of respiratory illnesses, primarily the flu and measles. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported that emergency departments have experienced around 3,000 patient presentations, a figure surpassing even those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The province is also contending with a significant measles outbreak, having recorded 393 confirmed and 37 probable cases since February 2025. This outbreak has been exacerbated by a substantial exposure event that occurred in late January at Ag Days in Brandon, Canada's largest indoor farm show.
In response to the escalating measles situation, Manitoba is extending vaccine eligibility to children as young as six months old in the Prairie Mountain and Southern Health regions. Dr. Roussin emphasized the high preventability of measles through vaccination and noted that areas with robust vaccination rates, like Winnipeg, are experiencing fewer cases.
