Latest measles cases ‘localized’: official

Markham Economist & Sun
April 16, 2014
By Simone Joseph

Four cases of measles were discovered in a Markham home last week.

But since the cases were due to travel rather than exposure within the community, the discovery is not cause for alarm, according to Lilian Yuan, associate medical officer of health for the York Region Public Health department.

“Measles wasn’t spreading in the community. It was very localized,” she said Wednesday.

Two of the infected people are adults and two are school-aged children.

The four were infected when they came into contact with a visitor from China.

The children’s school has been notified and so have students’ parents, Dr. Yuan said. The public health department would not disclose which school the children attend, saying the majority of students at the school have had their vaccinations and are not at risk.

Recent cases of measles in Ontario have raised concerns about “protecting kids from potentially deadly diseases,” Health Minister Deb Matthews said Wednesday.

Before starting school in September, Ontario children will have to prove they’ve been immunized for whooping cough, chickenpox and meningococcal disease.

The new regulation applies to primary and secondary school students. The requirement for the chickenpox vaccination is only for children born in 2010 or later.

Ms Matthews underlined the importance of vaccination during her announcement Wednesday.

“This measles outbreak has been a bit of a wake-up call to parents who didn’t like the idea of it; they’re starting to realize now that not immunizing their kids can actually result in their death,” she said.

Susan O’Gorman has noticed an increase in phone calls to York Region’s public health branch recently from parents asking about when their children should be immunized.

While childhood immunization is important, she pointed out the importance of adults getting immunized as well.

Some adults may need a second shot to boost their immune system, said Ms O’Gorman, manager of the infectious diseases control division for York’s community and health services department.

“Over time, some immunization effectiveness wanes. We want to make sure it is at the proper level,” she said. “Adults are just as susceptible to getting measles. Adults often think of measles as a childhood disease.”

All of the measles cases discovered in Ontario were due to travel, she said.

“Within York Region, we have not seen measles spreading,” Dr. Yuan said.

Canada is one of the few countries that has eliminated measles.

Since 1998, cases in Canada have been imported from areas where measles is still common, such as Asia, Europe and Africa.

“There are lots of measles in parts of the world that are popular holiday spots,” Dr. Yuan said.

GOOD TO KNOW

How can measles be prevented?

- The best way to protect yourself and your family is by vaccination with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

- Children and post-secondary school students should receive two doses of MMR

- Adults born in 1970 or later require one dose of MMR

- Adults born before 1970 are considered immune against measles, but should receive one dose of MMR if planning to travel

How do I find out if I’ve been immunized?

- Check your yellow immunization record or contact your family doctor. If you are a student in York Region, you can also contact York Region Public Health.

- For more information, please call York Region Health Connection 1-800-361-5653, TTY 1-866-252-9933 or visit www.york.ca