With March break travel weeks away, local health officials urge people to get measles vaccine

With just weeks until March break, people are being urged to ensure their measles vaccinations are up to date.

On Friday, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam issued a statement saying she's concerned about a global surge in measles activity combined with a decline in measles vaccine coverage in school-aged children.

"I strongly advise everyone in Canada to be vaccinated with two doses of a measles vaccine, especially before travelling. If needed, measles vaccination should optimally be given at least two weeks before departure, but there are still benefits if given less than two weeks before travelling," Tam said in the media release.

"Although measles has been eliminated in Canada, cases can still occur here when an individual who is not fully vaccinated has travelled to or from a country where measles is circulating. Imported cases can lead to subsequent spread of measles in Canada among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated people."

As of Friday, there were six measles cases in Canada, Tam said. Most of the cases involved unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children who had travelled internationally.

On Feb. 3, the World Health Organization said measles outbreaks in Europe had accelerated in the recent months and it's a "question of time" before outbreaks happen in Canada.

Symptoms of measles include red rash, fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and fatigue. They may start around 10 days after exposure but can appear anywhere from seven to 21 days later. 

Dr. Kate O'Brien, a Canadian pediatric infectious diseases specialist and director of the WHO's department of vaccines and immunization, told CBC News "it's not something that is mild ... and it's not something to be taken lightly."

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In Waterloo region in southern Ontario, more than 18,000 elementary students have received school suspension orders because their vaccination records haven't been updated with public health. Students have until March 27 to update their records or else they won't be able to attend class.

In some cases, it's just paperwork that hasn't been filed, Region of Waterloo's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said. In other cases, it's that students haven't been vaccinated.

The region has held special vaccine clinics to help students get caught up on their shots.

In a board of health meeting on Wednesday night, Wang said there have been no confirmed cases of measles in Waterloo region since 2019 but "public health has alerted local physicians to continue to promote vaccination and to increase vigilance for suspected cases."

"With increased travel expected during the March Break, we'd like to remind the public to be aware of the increased risk of measles around the world and to encourage persons to stay up-to-date with their vaccines against measles and other vaccine preventable diseases," Wang said.