The NWT’s health minister says lower rates of vaccination against measles, flu and other diseases are leaving Elders and children “vulnerable to preventable diseases.”
Speaking in the legislature on Wednesday, Lesa Semmler railed against the ease with which misinformation is now spread online about the supposed dangers of vaccination.
The real danger, Semmler suggested, is not being vaccinated.
“Vaccine hesitancy and misinformation are weakening trust in science and public health,” the health minister said.
According to Semmler, the NWT’s measles vaccination rate among two-year-olds has fallen from 90 percent in 2019 to 82 percent in 2024, well below the national target of 95 percent.
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Flu vaccination rates have fallen to just 18 percent of NWT residents, she said, while only 69 percent of two-year-olds have their diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine.
“These low rates put our most vulnerable populations – children, Elders and those with chronic conditions – at serious risk,” the minister said.
Semmler, who worked as a nurse prior to becoming a territorial politician, said the rarity of diseases like measles and diphtheria in Canada appeared to have led people to forget how dangerous they can be.
“Unfortunately, this sense of complacency – along with the rapid spread of misinformation online – is leading some to question the safety and importance of vaccines. Some are rejecting evidence-based science and falling for fear-driven messaging that puts lives at risk,” she said.
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“We must push back against false claims with clear, fact-based communication that empowers people to make the best choice for their health.”
Semmler acknowledged the reality of vaccine fatigue – the idea that people are overwhelmed by the number of recommended vaccines and communication about them – as well as the need to rebuild trust to address vaccine hesitancy in Indigenous communities.
More: GNWT information on vaccination
Ultimately, she said, the resurgence of measles in North America is “alarming.”
“If vaccination rates do not improve, we increase the risk of outbreaks from outside the NWT,” Semmler said.
“This puts countless lives at risk and adds further strain to our already overburdened healthcare system.”
