New measles cases lead to exposure warning at Halifax Infirmary

Nova ScotiaPublic Health is warning people who were in specific areas of the Halifax Infirmary on Sunday and Monday that they may have been exposed to measles.There have now been 61 cases in Nova Scotia’s northern zone this yearCarolyn Ray · CBC News · Posted: Sep 09, 2025 12:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours agoPublic Health says someone with measles was in the QEII emergency department on Sunday night. They also visited diagnostic imaging on Monday morning. (Robert Short/CBC)Nova Scotia Public Health is warning people who were in specific areas of the Halifax Infirmary on Sunday and Monday that they may have been exposed to measles. There are eight new cases in Nova Scotia’s northern zone, all connected to small communities with large households. Public Health won’t provide any further detail about the location of the patients because of privacy concerns. Public Health said there was an exposure from this cluster at the emergency department of the Halifax Infirmary between 10:45 p.m. Sunday and 1:20 a.m. Monday. There’s a second exposure warning for the hospital’s diagnostic imaging department — general imaging and ultrasound — for Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Public Health says it’s urgent for anyone who is at a high risk who may have been exposed to come forward. They can be offered a post-exposure prophylaxis, a type of treatment that only works if it’s given within 72 hours of an exposure.Those who are considered high risk include people who are immunocompromised or pregnant, or infants younger than a year old.Nova Scotia has had 61 cases of measles this year, including these new patients. All the people were in the northern zone, and Public Health previously said they were largely unvaccinated. While measles is highly contagious, it’s unlikely the province will experience significant spread because of high vaccination rates. Anyone born before 1970 is considered immune because of exposures when they were younger. Anyone born after 1970 is encouraged by Public Health to make sure they have two doses of the vaccine.ABOUT THE AUTHORCarolyn Ray is a videojournalist who has reported out of three provinces and two territories, and is now based in Halifax. You can reach her at Carolyn.Ray@cbc.ca