Health Department Urges Nunavut Residents to Get Measles Vaccination

No measles cases have been reported in Nunavut, but the risk remains high, according to Dr. Ekua Agyemang, Nunavut’s acting chief public health officer. The Department of Health is urging people to get vaccinated due to ongoing outbreaks in southern Canada. In Iqaluit, there is a measles vaccine walk-in clinic every Friday from 8:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. People across the territory can also call their health-care providers to schedule an appointment. So far in 2025, Canada has reported 3,381 confirmed cases of measles and 300 probable cases. Measles is highly contagious and spreads through drops of fluid from the nose or throat of an infected person. The risk of measles in Nunavut depends on local vaccination coverage. To prevent outbreaks, a community needs at least 95% coverage with two doses of a measles-containing vaccine. Anyone born after 1970 who is not vaccinated and has never had measles is at risk. Having two doses of the vaccine is nearly 100% effective at preventing the disease. Measles symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red, watery eyes, and a rash of red spots and blotchy patches that spreads across the body. In darker skin tones, the rash may be harder to see.