VANCOUVER—Despite the anxiety and confusion caused by the recent measles outbreak, Vancouver Coastal Health doesn’t anticipate “significant” transmission of the contagious disease.
“What we had was a cluster in a number of schools where there were some unimmunized children, but there was also closed quarters,” said medical health officer Dr. Reka Gustafson. “We know that the vast majority of British Columbians are protected through immunization, and we don’t tend to get ongoing transmission even after measles are introduced.”
Most of the cases were linked to two French-language schools after an unvaccinated child caught measles on a family trip to Vietnam.
Two new cases were reported to Vancouver Coastal Health on Sunday, bringing the total to 13 people infected. Both people got measles when travelling overseas, according to Vancouver Coastal Health, the regional health authority. One lives in Vancouver and the other travelled through Vancouver International Airport on the way to Edmonton and on to the Northwest Territories.
While measles was officially eradicated in Canada in 1998, the federal government warned in 2015 that periodic outbreaks were to be expected in communities where vaccination is low.
That followed an outbreak in Chilliwack in the Fraser Valley that involved a group of people who did not believe in immunization for religious reasons. During the 2014 outbreak, the government identified 433 cases, mainly in children and youth between the ages of five to 19, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada report.
The Star answers some common questions about the disease that claims the lives of more than 100,000 people, mainly children, each year, according to the World Health Organization.
What is measles?
Measles is a highly contagious infection caused by an airborne virus.
Early symptoms, which can show up a week to 14 days after exposure, include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, sleepiness and irritability, which can be mistaken for the flu.
Within a week, according to the government of Canada website, a red rash starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body.
How is measles transmitted?
Since it is an airborne disease, the virus is spread when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.
According to HealthLinkBC, “the measles virus can survive in small droplets in the air for several hours.”
“Sharing food, drinks or cigarettes, or kissing someone who has the virus can also put you at risk,” it states on its website.
Infected people are contagious four days before the rash appears, and four days after.
Who is at risk?
Unvaccinated people with no previous exposure are most at risk, including babies, who typically receive the first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 months.
The BC Centre for Disease Control advises everyone under 49 to get the full vaccine, which comes in two doses.
Adults born before 1970 have likely been exposed already, which means they have a natural immunity.
What are some complications from measles?
Although rare, complications can happen in about 10 per cent of measles cases, according the Ontario government. They can lead to infections in the ears, lungs, and brain. For pregnant women, measles can lead to early labour or low-birthweight babies.
Why is vaccination important?
The government of Canada advises parents to vaccinate children because measles can lead to serious health complications like deafness, seizures, brain damage or, in rare cases, death.
Although some parents worry vaccines may cause autism in young children, the study that primed the anti-vaccine movement was retracted by The Lancet in 2010 and its author was discredited. Later studies tried and were unable to replicate its findings, leading researchers and scientists to conclude there is no link, according the government of Canada.
Because some people cannot be vaccinated, including infants under six months of age, people with medical conditions and those undergoing chemotherapy, they have to rely on what is called herd immunity to avoid the disease. With measles, the World Health Organization says 93 to 95 per cent of the population must be immunized to protect those who are not or cannot be immunized.
Should people avoid public spaces?
Gustafson said there is no reason why adults or children should avoid public spaces. All of the cases but one, where the source is still unknown, were acquired outside Canada or are linked to the cluster of cases in the schools.
Where do I get MMR vaccines?
Vaccines are available for free at local community health centres, the City Centre Urgent Primary Care Centre, family doctors and walk-in clinics. VCH asks people to call ahead to make sure they have the vaccine on hand.
The VCH has a list of health centres and clinics on its website where you can get inoculated.
“We’ve been connecting with our pharmacists, with our clinics, and we’ve been putting on our website the clinics and pharmacies where we have been able to confirm that there is a sufficient number of vaccines and there is somebody there to administer it,” Gustafson said.
People who need a second shot don’t need to rush out and get vaccinated right away. “It is reasonable to make an appointment, to call ahead and receive the vaccine when it’s convenient for you. If you’re unimmunized, it’s much more important to get it as soon as possible.”
What should parents do with infants under one years old?
Stick to the routine vaccination schedule. The BC Centre for Disease Control does not recommend the MMR vaccine for infants under 12 months.
ImmunizeBC says the vaccine should be given early only in cases where infants are travelling overseas to regions with outbreaks, and even then only if they are at least six months. Currently, the federal government has travel health notices for measles in the United States, Europe, South America, Africa and the Philippines.
Can a child get the second vaccine before four years old?
The second shot of MMR vaccine is typically given between four to six years old, and the BC Centre for Disease Control does not recommend giving it before the age of four.
With files from The Canadian Press
Sources: Vancouver Coastal Health, BC Centre for Disease Control, National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases, HealthLinkBC, government of Ontario, government of Canada, World Health Organization