What can RMTs do to protect themselves and their clients from measles?
Measles is on the rise in Canada. There are significant outbreaks happening in Alberta and Ontario, and cases are increasing in other provinces as well. Health Canada and provincial public health departments have issued alerts and advisories about the disease.
As of July 28, there have been 4,206 reported cases of measles in Canada this year. Of those, 1,450 were in Alberta and 2,301 were in Ontario. To put those numbers in perspective, there were only 147 reported cases in Canada in all of 2024.
What does this mean for us as massage therapists? It means that like all other hands-on health professionals, we need to understand the risks for ourselves and our clients.
There have been very few recommendations specifically for massage therapists published in Canada so far. We hope that this post will help fill that gap and point you toward other reliable sources.
What is the measles? How serious is it?
Measles is an extremely contagious disease, caused by the measles virus (Morbillivirus hominis). It is also very dangerous.
The first symptoms of measles include very high fever, runny nose, conjunctivitis, and a cough. These are followed by white spots inside the mouth, and the characteristic measles rash. This is flat red (or dark) spots or blotches that usually start on the head and then spread over the rest of the body. If you’re lucky and don’t experience any complications, you’ll still be very sick for 10-14 days.
But the complications from measles infection can be even worse. These can include:
- Ear infections
- Diarrhea
- Pneumonia
- Encephalitis (swelling in the brain that can cause blindness, hearing loss, and permanent brain injury)
- Respiratory failure
- subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
- and even death
These complications can happen to anyone but are more likely (and more likely to lead to disability or death) for small children and people with weakened immune systems. A measles infection during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects, and fetal death.
Even if you don’t experience any of those complications, measles can also cause something called “immune amnesia,” which is as bad as it sounds: it can essentially “reset” your immune system. You can recover from the measles but lose the immune protection against other pathogens that you’ve spent a lifetime building. So getting the measles makes you more likely to get sick from other causes, too.
Luckily, measles is preventable.
How can you avoid getting the measles?
The best way to protect yourself, your family, and your clients from measles is to get vaccinated. This applies to everyone, but is especially important for people who work in health care.
The measles vaccine is very safe and effective. Two doses of the vaccine will offer nearly 100% protection in otherwise healthy people (one dose offers about 85–95% protection, according to Alberta Health Services (AHS)).
The vaccine is usually delivered as part of a combined MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) or MMR-Vac (measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella) injection. These shots are part of the standard vaccine schedule for children, so if you were born in Canada after 1970 there’s a good chance that you’ve received at least one dose. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially for RMTs and other healthcare workers.
It’s easy to check if you’ve received both doses. In Alberta, you can access your vaccination records through MyHealth Records online, from your family doctor, or through a public health or community health centre. Find more information on immunization records for Albertans here.
Prevention through vaccination is the best solution not just because it’s safe and effective. It’s the best solution because for most of us, it’s one of the only ways to effectively prevent the spread of measles.
Measles spreads through respiratory particles and can linger in the air and on surfaces for hours after an infected person has left a room. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, over 90% of people who are exposed to measles (and haven’t been vaccinated) can become infected. It’s more contagious than the flu, Covid-19, or the common cold.
What should massage therapists do to stop the spread of measles? Are there specific guidelines for RMTs?
AHS strongly recommends that all their staff, students, and volunteers make sure that they are fully vaccinated. While AHS doesn’t have jurisdiction over massage therapists in Alberta, it is relevant for all health care workers. The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario has published guidance for therapists and clients.
Even though there aren’t very many specific guidelines for RMTs available, here’s our advice:
- Double-check that you’re fully vaccinated.
- Continue to follow standard infection control protocols.
- Communicate to your clients.
- Remind them that they shouldn’t visit if they’re sick (including with measles symptoms). In addition to having it in your booking policies, it’s a good idea to mention it again when you send appointment reminders.
- Consider updating your pre-treatment screening and health history questions to include measles exposure or symptoms.
- Depending on the infection rates in your area, you may want to put a sign on your clinic door asking people not to come in if they’re experiencing symptoms.
- If you experience symptoms, self-isolate and contact your doctor or local public health office (such as by calling 811).
- Postpone all appointments until your symptoms resolve and your required self-isolation period has passed, or otherwise instructed by a doctor
How you apply this advice in your own practice will depend on a number of factors, including your personal risk, your location, what populations you treat, and your clinic type. But all massage therapists should take the risks of measles very seriously and do everything they can to stop its spread.
Note: We’re massage therapists, not doctors! This article shares current public health information in Alberta. It is not medical advice. Speak to your health care providers before making any personal medical decisions. This article was posted on July 30, 2025, and we have done our best to make sure that the information in it is correct as of that date. For the latest information for RMTs and the general public, please check with your local public health agencies, regulatory bodies, and professional associations.
Further Reading
- “Measles: What you should know” Factsheet (Government of Canada)
- About the MMR Vaccine (MyHealth Alberta)
- Guidance on Measles for Ontario RMTs (CMTO)
- Measles guidance for AHS staff (Alberta Health Services)
- Measles case reporting (Health Canada)
- Measles Infectious Disease Resource (Infection Prevention and Control Canada)
