Children across Canada get two doses of measles-containing vaccine, but the ages differ by province and territory, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s schedule of routine childhood vaccines, which lists the programs publicly funded in each jurisdiction.
The agency’s page was last updated in July 2026, with details dated Aug. 7, 2026. It shows nine jurisdictions giving the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) shot, known as MMR-V, at 12 months and again at 18 months. Four others space the doses further apart.
The schedule is built around two doses, so a missed second dose is worth following up even when a child has had the first.
The table below summarizes what the federal schedule lists for each province and territory. Names such as MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), Var (varicella alone) and MMR-V (all four in one shot) describe the products on the schedule.
| Province or territory | First dose | Second dose |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | MMR or Var at 12 months | MMR-V at 4 to 6 years |
| Alberta | MMR-V at 12 months | MMR-V at 18 months |
| Saskatchewan | MMR-V at 12 months | MMR-V at 18 months |
| Manitoba | MMR-V at 12 months | MMR-V at 4 to 6 years |
| Ontario | MMR at 12 months, Var at 15 months | MMR-V at 4 to 6 years |
| Quebec | MMR-V at 12 months | MMR-V at 18 months |
| New Brunswick | MMR-V at 12 months | MMR-V at 18 months |
| Nova Scotia | MMR-V at 12 months | MMR-V at 18 months |
| Prince Edward Island | MMR-V at 12 months | MMR-V at 18 months |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | MMR-V at 12 months | MMR-V at 18 months |
| Yukon | MMR or Var at 12 months | MMR-V at 4 to 6 years |
| Northwest Territories | MMR-V at 12 months | MMR-V at 18 months |
| Nunavut | MMR-V at 12 months | MMR-V at 18 months |
The federal page does not say explicitly which column is the first or second dose. The table above reads the earlier age as the first dose and the later age as the second, which is how the schedule is laid out.
The pattern splits the country. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, the four Atlantic provinces, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut give both doses before a child’s second birthday. British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Yukon give the second dose when a child is four to six years old, around school entry.
Ontario and Nunavut have extra wrinkles. Ontario lists a separate varicella shot at 15 months for children who received plain MMR at 12 months. Nunavut lists varicella vaccine as a time-limited catch-up in Grade 6.
The agency also notes that Quebec runs a catch-up program in the third year of secondary school for students who missed vaccines, including those against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella.
The page also shows which products a province pays for. Where it lists “N/A”, the vaccine is not publicly funded in that jurisdiction. Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and the Northwest Territories show N/A for stand-alone MMR and Var, which means the combined shot is the funded option there.
Provincial and territorial programs set their own schedules, and some change them during outbreaks. Parents who are unsure whether a child is up to date can check a vaccination record, often a yellow card or a provincial online portal, and ask a public health nurse, family doctor or pharmacist how to book.
This article is based on official guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada and is provided for general public information. It’s not a substitute for medical advice, if you have questions about how this applies to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
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Sources: Public Health Agency of Canada, Provincial and territorial routine and catch-up vaccination schedule for infants and children in Canada; Public Health Agency of Canada, Measles.
