By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
Interior Health has issued a health bulletin asking the public to be aware of possible exposure to an individual who has been confirmed to have measles and was infectious while visiting Sparwood on June 8. The health authority is asking those individuals who visited a McDonalds Restaurant in the town on that day between 3-5:30 p.m. to contact it.
Interior Health has noted that while there are no measles cases in Interior Health at this time the health authority ”is following up directly with individuals who are known to have been exposed to complete contact tracing. The risk to the broader public is considered low,” it said.
New measles cases in the north of the province have brought BC’s total up to 30 infections.
Those who have been exposed at the above location and have not been vaccinated against measles or are unsure, are immunocompromised, have an exposed child under one year of age, or are pregnant, are asked to call 1-855-549-6364 to speak with the communicable disease team who will review your vaccine history, determine your immunity to measles, and provide recommendations.
The health authority did not say where the “visitor to BC” came from, but Sparwood, which has no commercial airport, is only 41 km from Crowsnest which marks the BC-Alberta border. Alberta, which has among some of the lowest vaccination rates in the country, is currently facing surging measles cases, surpassing 900 total cases since the outbreaks began in March.
More than two-thirds of the cases have been detected in the province’s southern health region, which includes the communities of Taber, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.
Provincial data from 2024 shows just 68.1 per cent of Alberta two-year-olds were up to date with two doses of the measles vaccine, in comparison to BC where that number stands at about 82 per cent which is still below the 95 per cent target for herd immunity. And in the Okanagan and Kootenay-Boundary regions less than two-thirds of seven-year-olds were up to date with their measles shots according to data from 2023.
Low vaccine uptake rates in Alberta also have infectious disease specialists concerned about a recurrence of illnesses largely forgotten but with serious consequences such as polio. In 2021 data showed 92 per cent of two-year-olds had received full polio vaccine doses which dipped to 74.8 per cent by 2023. This decrease concerns specialists as it falls below the 80-86 per cent herd immunity threshold.
Premier Danielle Smith announced on June 13 that funding of the COVID-19 vaccine would be limited to very specific high risk groups. This includes Albertans living in care homes and group settings, those receiving home care, people on social programs, and immunocompromised individuals.
Seniors, pregnant Albertans and health-care workers will have to pay for the vaccine themselves, along with the rest of the population.
Meanwhile, anyone who is concerned about exposure to measles should watch for symptoms including: fever, cough, runny nose, and red and inflamed eyes. These are followed by a rash, which starts first on the face and neck, spreads to the chest, arms and legs, and lasts for at least three days.
Anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to measles and have developed symptoms should call ahead to the doctor’s office or the hospital before visiting, because of the highly infectious nature of measles.
If you think you or a loved one may have been exposed to measles but you have no symptoms, you can call 8-1-1 or your local public health centre to speak to a nurse.
The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against measles is to ensure vaccinations are up to date. To check your vaccination status visit interiorhealth.ca/measles.
You can get the vaccine for free at your local community health centre, or pharmacist (for adults and children over five).
Measles is a serious illness that is caused by a virus. It is highly contagious and spreads easily through the air. Complications from measles can include pneumonia, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), convulsions (seizures), deafness, brain damage, and death. For more information on measles, go to Measles | HealthLink BC.
