Canada Global (Web News) Fear of Measles Outbreak in Canada, Advice to Travelers Abroad to Take Precautions There is concern that a global increase in measles activity, along with a decrease in measles vaccine coverage among Canadian school children. , may lead to an increase in imported measles cases.
Dr. Theresa Tom, Canada’s chief public health officer, said in a statement: “I strongly advise everyone in Canada to get two doses of the measles vaccine, especially before travel. If needed, measles vaccination should ideally be given at least two weeks before departure, but there are still benefits if given less than two weeks before departure. Measles is no longer common in Canada, but outbreaks can occur when unvaccinated or otherwise susceptible people travel to and from countries where the virus is circulating among people.
Measles is easily spread through the air, has a high rate of hospitalization and can cause coughing, high fever and significant itching. In more severe cases, it causes pneumonia, brain damage and death in three out of every 1,000 children affected. Infection can have widespread and sometimes lifelong consequences, including blindness and deafness.
The World Health Organization is warning of an alarming rise in measles cases in Europe, and doctors in Canada fear the disease could easily spread to that country.
Two doses of the measles vaccine are considered sufficient for complete protection in both adults and children. The first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is usually given to children between 12 and 15 months of age. Warns of possible spread as cases rise overseas Public health officials across Canada say the COVID-19 pandemic emergency has affected routine vaccination programs.
Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease physician at Toronto General Hospital, said that while the majority of children are vaccinated against measles, there are still some in the country who are under-vaccinated. It would not be surprising if we see imported cases leading to sporadic local transmission in the country, which can be avoided entirely if we vaccinate everyone with two doses, disease control and The US Centers for Prevention reports that as of February 22, a total of 35 cases of measles had been reported in 15 jurisdictions.6+
