An upswing in cases of hepatitis A has Manitoba health officials asking the public to review their vaccination records and get up to date in order to protect themselves.
According to a release, public health officials declared an outbreak in April of 2025. At first, the outbreak affected communities in northern Manitoba, but recently they’ve seen more cases of it throughout the province, including in Winnipeg. They said homeless people and those connected to the initially affected communities seem to be the most likely to be affected.
“Vaccination can prevent hepatitis A, including in those exposed to the virus if given within two weeks of exposure,” said the release. “Immunization efforts are ongoing to reach populations at elevated risk.”
Eligibility for a single dose of free hepatitis A vaccine has been expanded to individuals aged six months and older from the following groups:
- community members in the Island Lake area (Garden Hill, St. Theresa Point, Wasagamack and Red Sucker Lake First Nations), Peguis First Nation, War Lake First Nation (also known as Ilford) and Bloodvein River First Nation;
- anyone travelling to or working in these communities; and
- people who have household visitors from these communities.
In addition, individuals with other risk factors for hepatitis A can access the hepatitis A vaccine based on existing eligibility criteria. This includes people experiencing homelessness; people who use drugs, and those with certain high-risk medical conditions.
As of April 26, there have been 601 cases of hepatitis A virus associated with this outbreak across Manitoba, mainly spread through person-to-person contact. In Winnipeg, 131 cases have been reported.
Hepatitis A is an acute liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. For more information on hepatitis A, visit: https://gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/diseases/hepatitisa.html.
