Vancouver Coastal Health Sea to Sky medical officer Paul Martiquet issued a warning to local parents in the wake of a measles outbreak in Lower Mainland schools this week.
Martiquet said currently, the highly contagious disease is centred on the Vancouver area, and thanks to vaccines, measles has become very rare in Canada.
"Most children in Canada can't catch measles," he stated. "The cases that are occurring now are in those who did not get the vaccine."
He did add, however, that occasionally, those with only one dose of the vaccine can catch it as well.
"Two doses of any measles-containing vaccine works very well to prevent infection," he stated. "Everyone born after 1956 (and who have not had measles itself) should have two doses of measles vaccine. It is extremely safe and available at your local public health unit."
Martiquet advised all parents and staff to check their vaccination records and those of their children to make sure they have had two doses of measles vaccine.
In B.C., children usually receive the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine at 12 and 18 months of age.
Public health policy states that if a child has not had the measles vaccine and is exposed to someone with measles, he or she may be excluded from school for three weeks or longer to protect others and keep measles from spreading in school.
"Exclusion disrupts family and school life greatly. We all want to avoid it," stated Martiquet. "Now is the time to make sure all students and staff members are protected against measles."
For more information visit the ImmunizeBC website at www.immunizebc.ca.
Residents can also rely on their family physician, nurse practitioner, public health nurse, and HealthLink BC (8-1-1) to answer questions about measles and MMR vaccine.
