Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab said the province had seen an increase in people seeking measles vaccines. (Lara Fominoff/650 CKOM)

No new measles cases for 21 days, new COVID variant: Sask. chief medical health officer

By Lara Fominoff Jul 6, 2025 | 9:00 AM

Saskatchewan has not had a single new measles case for the last 21 days, according to Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan’s chief medical health officer.

According to Saskatchewan Health Ministry, the total number of cases seen in the province in 2025 stands at 60.

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Speaking on The Evan Bray Show with guest host Brent Loucks on Friday, Shahab said that’s “really” great news.

“I think people really have listened carefully to what was happening, and we’ve seen an increase in vaccines, so that’s great,” he said.

Listen to The Evan Bray Show interview:

It’s still important, he said, for people born after 1970 to get two of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines because sometimes the disease picks up again in the fall, and it’s likely going to remain prominent for months or even years to come.

“There’s lots of measles (cases) in North America, other places — lots of measles throughout the world.”

So far this year, Alberta’s health ministry has reported more at least 1,190 cases of the disease, most in kids between the ages of 5 and 17 who have not been immunized.

In Ontario, at least 2,223 cases have also been reported.

Shahab says the routine vaccination vaccination program for measles begins at 12 months of age, and again at 18 months old. However, anyone can get “catch up” doses.

“The first dose gives 93 per cent protection. The second dose brings that up to 97 to 99 per cent protection.”

He said even if someone is vaccinated, very rarely they can get a mild infection.

Free COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits are no longer available in Saskatchewan. (THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE/Jeff McIntosh)

New COVID variant emerges

There’s also a new COVID-19 variant circulating called Nimbus 1.8.1, although Shahab says it hasn’t shown up in lab testing in Saskatchewan just yet.

“But we’re doing very little testing because we have very little COVID in Saskatchewan,” he said.

The new variant now accounts for anywhere from 25 per cent to 45 per cent of all cases across the country, and it’s the same in the U.S.

“We expect this to likely become the predominant variant over the summer.”

Symptoms of the new variant can include a “razor throat” feeling and hoarseness, although Shahab said many viruses can also result in painful throats.

He added that the free COVID testing kits the provincial government distributed during the height of infections are no longer available, although they can be purchased at some pharmacies.

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