Vaccination rates for measles decreased in British Columbia during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to deputy provincial health officer Dr. Martin Lavoie.
Speaking at a news conference with Health Minister Josie Osborne and other health officials Thursday, Lavoie said the province is “working hard” to address this decline, which has helped contribute to the recent surge in cases in B.C.
There were 102 confirmed cases of measles in the province as of Tuesday, and 10 people were hospitalized with the virus, health officials said.
Most of those cases were located in the Northern Health region, where the disease has found a “pocket” of people who are not immune from vaccination or previous infection.
Lavoie said the current outbreak is similar to the large one that occurred in the Fraser Valley in 2014, and noted that there are likely more infections in the community that public health is simply not detecting.
“We know that we have a significant level of underdetection,” he said.
In the face of rampant misinformation and disinformation about vaccines, Lavoie said the province has contacted more than 30,000 people over the last two months to urge them to check their vaccination status.
More than 1,000 updated their records, and 576 got vaccinated against measles – 132 in May and 444 in June.
Thursday’s news conference comes as officials warn of new potential exposures to the highly contagious disease.
According to the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, there is currently one active case in the Fraser Health region.
Officials are warning of a number of potential new exposures.
The first was at the Fort St. John Prenatal Clinic on June 27 between 10:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
There were also reports at the Fort St. John Hospital emergency department on July 4 from 3:30 p.m. to July 5 at 2 a.m., July 1 from 4:35 a.m. to 6:05 a.m., and from 6:35 p.m. to July 2 at 12:03 a.m.
Cases are at a 27-year high in Canada, with more than 3,700 reported.
Alberta has the most infections in North America on a per capita basis, with more than 1,200 cases since March.
Since the introduction of the measles vaccine, rates of infections have dropped greatly in Canada and around the world.
However, measles is making a resurgence as immunization rates decline.
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, and red and inflamed eyes that are often sensitive to light.
These symptoms are followed by a rash, which starts first on the face and neck, and spreads to the chest, arms and legs.
The rash lasts about four to seven days and there may also be small white spots inside the mouth.
Symptoms can start between seven and 21 days after a person is infected with the measles virus.
Measles is a serious illness that can also lead to complications including pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and even death.
If you have confirmed measles, you’re asked to stay home and isolate for at least four days after the rash first appeared.