Measles cases in Canada are increasing, warns Canada’s chief public health officer

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 chief public health officer said, urging people to make sure their vaccines are up to date. .

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 is concerned that not enough school-aged children have been adequately vaccinated against the highly contagious virus.

“I strongly encourage parents or caregivers to ensure that children in their care have received all measles vaccines as scheduled,” she said in an interview.

Those who are unsure of their child’s vaccination history should talk to their healthcare provider or local public health agency, Tam recommended.

The timing of doses varies by province and territory, but generally children receive the first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age and then a second dose before starting school.

“Vaccines that contain measles are very effective. (The) benefits far outweigh the risks,” Tam said.

“There is no reason why children, who could become seriously ill from this disease, should get it because it can be prevented with vaccines,” 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 each had one case.

Most people infected with measles in Canada were unvaccinated and most were children.

Seven people have been hospitalized because of measles this year, Tam said.

He said that while some people have been infected while traveling abroad, others have contracted measles in Canada.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has previously urged people to check their measles vaccination status ahead of the busy March holiday travel season.

On Wednesday, Tam said it’s hard to say at this point whether travel over March Break has contributed to an increase in cases, but she wanted to spread the message again as people prepare for family gatherings and religious celebrations.

The rise in measles this year is likely due to increased measles activity around the world, combined with “suboptimal vaccine uptake at the national level,” Tam said.

He said there may have been a decline in access to routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but local public health agencies have been “working hard to catch up.”

Recently there has been an “increase in public interest in getting the vaccine, which is fantastic,” he said.

Symptoms of measles include fever, red and watery eyes, runny nose, and cough at first. Those symptoms are followed by a red 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. “The infection can lead to rare but serious complications, such as deafness and brain injury caused by inflammation of the brain, and can even be fatal,” the statement said.

A 95 percent vaccination rate is needed to give communities herd immunity against measles.

The most recent national data available, which is from 2021, showed that 79 percent of children had received two doses of the measles vaccine by age seven.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2024.