Surgeon General Message: Measles – Information for the Defence Team
April 5, 2024 - Defence Stories
I’m writing to bring to your attention the importance of ensuring that your and your family’s measles vaccinations are up to date, in light of the recent increase in cases in Canada and around the world.
Measles is highly contagious – on average, one case leads to 18 more, if unvaccinated. This means that entire units and work teams could become sick or excluded from the workplace very quickly. Infection can lead to long-term or severe complications, up to respiratory failure and potentially even death, especially for children under five and adults with compromised immune systems.
Canadians have largely forgotten about measles since, until recently, almost all Canadians and most people in the world were vaccinated. However, Canada is seeing an increase in measles activity in 2024 because of various factors, including gaps in normal vaccine programs around the world and vaccine hesitance.
Community-wide vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles. Every member of the Defence Team should be up to date on their measles vaccine. The two-dose measles vaccine is part of routine immunization recommendations for all Canadians, and is part of the Core Health Protection Recommendations (accessible only on the National Defence network) for all Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members. Despite this, we know that in some CAF groups, almost 30 per cent of members are missing one or both doses.
The two-dose vaccine is over 90 per cent effective, and once complete, does not require a booster. Eligible CAF members can get vaccinated at their supporting Health Services Centre; Department of National Defence (DND) public service and Non-Public Funds employees, and Reserve members on short-term contracts should contact their local public health authority. Anyone with measles should stay home to protect others and seek medical advice.
For more information, please contact your supporting Health Services Centre or family physician. Read more:
Measles: Symptoms and treatment.
Major-General Scott Malcolm
Canadian Armed Forces Surgeon General