Manitoba health officials tried a new approach to reach families with questions about measles, holding a telephone town hall earlier this week aimed at residents in Southern Health-Santé Sud, the region with the province’s highest measles case counts and lowest early childhood immunization rates.
The province announced the event ahead of time as a way for residents to hear from public health experts and ask questions directly.
Dr. Davinder Singh says the idea was to create another avenue for two-way communication at a time when one-way public messaging has not been enough to stop the outbreak.
Why Southern Health was the focus
Dr. Singh said the decision to focus on Southern Health was tied directly to the numbers.
“Southern Health-Santé Sud is the region that has by far the most cases of measles,” he said. “And it’s directly because Southern Health-Santé Sud has the lowest rates of early childhood immunization for protecting against measles.”
He said that makes the region the place where public health needs the biggest improvement in vaccine uptake if it hopes to slow the current outbreak and prevent the next one.
A chance for two-way conversation
Dr. Singh said the telephone town hall was designed less as a lecture and more as an opportunity to hear directly from residents.
“This was really geared towards finding out what people wanted to know, what their questions and concerns were,” he said, adding the goal was to see whether another way of addressing those questions could help with what he called "demystifying” the issue.
According to Dr. Singh, colleagues reported that about 1,400 people took part in the event, with most callers coming from Southern Health-Santé Sud, though some joined from other parts of Manitoba.
He noted some participants may also have included health-care providers listening in to better understand the concerns community members are raising in conversations about measles and immunization.
Questions ranged from immunity to vaccine hesitancy
Dr. Singh said the questions covered a wide range of topics, including whether doses received decades ago still offer protection, whether older adults need another shot, and why people should get vaccinated if infection can still happen.
“The risk is extremely low if you get vaccinated and the risk is extremely high if you get a significant exposure and you’re not immunized,” he said.
Misinformation also surfaced
Not every question could be answered during the town hall, Dr. Singh said, but one example stood out.
He said a caller had asked about the use of mRNA technology in measles vaccines.
“The measles vaccines are not mRNA,” Dr. Singh said, adding that the question suggested at least some callers may be relying on incorrect information.
He said addressing those kinds of misperceptions is one reason the town hall format may be useful.
Impact on immunization rates remains the key question
Despite positive feedback from those involved, Dr. Singh said it is still too early to know whether the town hall will lead to more vaccinations among families currently choosing not to immunize their children.
“That will be the real test,” he said. “We’ll anticipate following along the immunization uptake numbers.”
Manitoba continues to report rising measles activity, and the province says vaccination remains the best protection against infection, especially in regions with ongoing transmission.
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