NWHU urging people to ensure they are up to date on their Measles vaccinations

Tim Brody - Editor

Speaking to members of the media on March 8, Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kit Young Hoon shared, “As you likely know, Measles is on the rise globally, with increasing cases being reported within Canada as well. For approximately 20 years, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Measles was well controlled. In Canada and many countries Measles was considered to be eliminated. Meaning that all cases in the country have been infected outside of Canada. Ontario and Quebec have now both had one case reported that has no link to travel, which is a sign of community transmission.”
She further stated, “The fact that currently in Canada there have been more cases of Measles reported so far in 2024 than the country saw in all of 2023 is largely due to the increase in international travel and the disruption of immunization delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Young Hoon said Measles is extremely contagious, “Ninety percent of non-immune people, that is people who are not immunized or have never had Measles, so 90 percent of non-immune people who are exposed to the virus will get sick. Being in an airplane or other enclosed or indoor space sharing the air with other people exposes everyone in that space to Measles if there is an infected person present. Measles can be a severe infection and is still one of the leading causes of vaccine preventable deaths in children worldwide. Complications of Measles include diarrhea, pneumonia, blindness and infection of the brain. Complications such as middle ear infections, and bronco-pneumonia occur in about 10 percent of reported cases.”
She said that at this time there are no known cases of Measles in the NWHU’s catchment area, adding that this could change with the increase in travel internationally and more locally that happens at this time of year. 
“Those born before 1970 are considered to have immunity due to the circulation of the virus prior to widespread vaccination. For those born after 1970, vaccination is the best protection against Measles. Our goal at this time is to prevent Measles through immunization. We are particularly concerned about children and youth who have not completed their routine immunizations appropriate to their age group. Individuals or families that are travelling out of Canada should also ensure that they check with their healthcare provider or the Northwestern Health Unit if immunizations may not be up to date. To check on recorded vaccinations, individuals can check personal records or their yellow card immunization record, ask their family healthcare provider, visit our health site where we have a link called Icon – the Icon service link does require a healthcare number to access the account, which can also be accessed through our website. Another option is to email vaccines@nwhu.on.ca.”
Young Hoon stated, “We are urgently asking the following groups of people to get vaccinated against Measles as soon as possible: children 12 months to three years who have had no Measles vaccines, children aged four to 18 years who have no, or only one dose of the MMR vaccine (or Measles vaccine), adults up to age 54 who have never had the vaccine or measles infection. Adults who are healthcare workers or post-secondary students that have not had two doses of the MMR vaccine, and anyone six months and older travelling in the next four weeks should check with their healthcare provider to find out if the MMR vaccine is recommended.”
Young Hoon further informed, “For travelers, those born before 1970 should have one dose and those born in 1970 and after should have two doses. To check your children’s vaccination status, again, please check our website for all the options and how to find that information. Over the March Break Northwestern Health Unit will be offering walk-in clinics for Measles vaccination. Again, you can visit our website for the dates and times of the clinics.”