Achi news desk-
The number of confirmed measles cases in Canada so far this year is more than three times higher than all infections recorded in 2023, the country’s top public health officer said as she urged people to ensure their vaccinations n current.
The Public Health Agency of Canada is aware of 40 confirmed cases across the country in 2024, Dr. Theresa Tam said Wednesday.
Tam said she was concerned that not enough school-aged children had been adequately vaccinated against the highly contagious virus.
“I strongly advise parents or caregivers to ensure that children in their care have received all measles vaccines according to schedule,” he said in an interview.
Those who aren’t sure about their child’s vaccination history should talk to their health care provider or local public health agency, Tam said.
The timing of doses varies by state and territory, but generally children get their first dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 to 15 months of age and then a second dose before for them to start school.
“The vaccines that contain measles are very effective. (The) benefits far outweigh the risks,” said Tam.
“There’s no reason why children – who could get quite sick from this illness – should be getting it because it’s vaccine preventable,” he said.
Quebec has had 28 confirmed cases this year – the most in the country, Tam said. Ontario has had 10 cases; BC and Saskatchewan have had one case each.
The majority of people infected with measles in Canada were unvaccinated and most of them were children.
Seven people have been hospitalized for measles this year, Tam said.
He said while some people have been infected while traveling internationally, others have caught measles in Canada.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has previously urged people to check their measles vaccination status ahead of the busy March Break travel season.
On Wednesday, Tam said it was hard to say at this point whether March break travel has contributed to an increase in cases, but he wanted to get the message out again as people prepare for family gatherings and religious celebrations.
The increase in measles this year is likely caused by increased measles activity around the world, along with “suboptimal vaccine uptake nationally,” Tam said.
He said there may have been a drop in access to routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but local public health agencies have been “trying very hard to catch up.”
There has been “a recent increase in public interest in getting the vaccine, which is great,” he said.
Measles symptoms include fever, red watery eyes, runny nose and cough at first. Those symptoms are followed by a rash that starts on the face and moves to other parts of the body, the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement.
“Measles is more than a rash. Infection can lead to rare but serious complications, including deafness and brain injury caused by meningitis, and can even be fatal,” said the statement.
A vaccination rate of 95 per cent is needed to give communities herd immunity against measles.
The latest national data available, from 2021, showed that 79 per cent of children had received two doses of the measles vaccine by the age of seven.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on March 27, 2024
