With March break travel weeks away, local health officials urge people to get measles vaccine

With just weeks until March break, people are being urged to ensure their measles vaccinations are up to date.

On Friday, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam issued a statement saying she's concerned about a global surge in measles activity combined with a decline in measles vaccine coverage in school-aged children.

"I strongly advise everyone in Canada to be vaccinated with two doses of a measles vaccine, especially before travelling. If needed, measles vaccination should optimally be given at least two weeks before departure, but there are still benefits if given less than two weeks before travelling," Tam said in the media release.

"Although measles has been eliminated in Canada, cases can still occur here when an individual who is not fully vaccinated has travelled to or from a country where measles is circulating. Imported cases can lead to subsequent spread of measles in Canada among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people."

As of Friday, there were six measles cases in Canada, Tam said. Most of the cases involved unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children who had travelled internationally.

On Feb. 3, the World Health Organization saidmeasles outbreaks in Europehad accelerated in the recent months andit's a "question of time" before outbreakshappen in Canada.

Symptoms of measles includered rash, fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and fatigue. Theymay start around 10 days after exposure but can appear anywhere from seven to 21 days later.

Dr. Kate O'Brien, a Canadian pediatric infectious diseases specialist anddirector of the WHO's department of vaccines and immunization, told CBC News"it's not something that is mild ... and it's not something to be taken lightly."

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Students need to update vaccine records

In Waterloo region in southern Ontario, more than 18,000 elementary students have received school suspension orders because their vaccination records haven't been updated with public health. Students have until March 27 to update their records or else they won't be able to attend class.

In some cases, it's just paperwork that hasn't been filed, Region of Waterloo's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said. In other cases, it's that students haven't been vaccinated.

The region has held special vaccine clinics to help students get caught up on their shots.

In a board of health meeting on Wednesday night, Wang said there have been no confirmed cases of measles in Waterloo region since 2019 but "public health has alerted local physicians to continue to promote vaccination and to increase vigilance for suspected cases."

"With increased travel expected during the March Break, we'd like to remind the public to be aware of the increased risk of measles around the world and to encourage persons to stay up-to-date with their vaccines against measles and other vaccine preventable diseases," Wang said.

'Vaccine fatigue' a concern

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health currently has about 75 high school students who have been suspended because of incomplete vaccination records. More than 5,000 elementary students also face suspension if their records are not updated by March 20.

Medical officer of health Dr. Nicola Mercer says the goal is never to suspend students, but proof of vaccination, or an exemption form, are required under the Immunization of School Pupils Act.

She said she also understands that after four years of the COVID-19 pandemic there is some "vaccine fatigue." But they're an important tool to keep people healthy.

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"To think of Europe right now with all of the measles cases, even the U.S. is seeing them and now we're having a few cases in Canada," Mercer said. "These diseases are still out there and if you haven't been vaccinated if you're exposed, you will end up getting the real deal as opposed to just having a shot," she said.

2 cases in Ontario currently

On Tuesday, Ontario's chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore noted there are two cases of measles in Ontario: A child in Peel Region and an infant in Toronto.

"While measles is no longer considered endemic in Canada, outbreaks can happen when susceptible individuals i.e. unvaccinated travel to and return from countries where measles is circulating," Moore said in a memo to Ontario Health and local public health agencies.

He said public health units should ensure all health-care providers:

• Encourage patients to get all routine vaccinations. That includes two doses of MMR, which are routinely given at one year of age and a second dose between four to six years old.
• Talk to patients about how vaccines are "highly effective in preventing disease transmission."
• Watch for symptoms of measles, "particularly in returning travellers with respiratory symptoms."

He said he urged this information be shared with after hours clinics, urgent care, hospital emergency departments and families "especially as we lead up to the March break period."