N.B.'s top doctor warns of March break measles risk

With March break just days away, New Brunswick's acting chief medical officer of health is urging people to make sure  they're fully immunized against measles before travelling outside the country.

Dr. Yves Léger says a global surge in measles cases, due in part to a decline in vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, has him worried about the potential for travel-related cases in the province.

"Diseases that happen in other countries pose a risk to us as well, because people can easily go to other countries, pick up those infections and can be back here in New Brunswick and be contagious in a very short period of time," Léger said Wednesday.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause serious illness and severe complications, including deafness, brain damage and even death.

The virus is transmitted through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs, sneezes or talks, or by direct contact with infected nasal or throat secretions.

"In light of the situation that's happening across the globe, we've already started to beef up our preparations in anticipation of a potential case," said Léger. "Hopefully, there won't be, but we certainly would rather be prepared if that's the case."

Public Health officials have been reviewing their guidelines for how they manage measles cases, as well as contacts, to ensure they're up to date, he said.

WATCH | Top doc urges immunization to prevent measles spread:

They've also worked with the communications branch to increase social media posts about measles and to try to encourage people to ensure they're up to date with their vaccines, especially if they're travelling.

In addition, they intend to distribute a memo to health-care practitioners soon to raise their awareness, make sure they're keeping an eye out for any potential cases, and encouraging vaccines with their patients.

"It's always better to prevent than to try and treat or to manage … outbreaks," Léger said.

His comments echo a warning issued by Canada's chief medical officer of health last Friday. Dr. Theresa Tam urged people to ensure their measles vaccinations are up to date before any international travel.

"As we head into the spring break travel season, I am concerned that the global surge in measles activity, combined with the decline in measles vaccine coverage among school-aged children in Canada, could lead to an increase in imported measles cases, potentially resulting in transmission in communities in Canada," she said in a statement.

Although measles has been considered eliminated in Canada since 1998, meaning the disease is no longer constantly present, cases can still occur when people who are not fully vaccinated travel to or from a country where the virus is circulating. These imported cases can lead to subsequent spread of measles in Canada among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people, Tam advised.