British Columbia’s premier is blaming a surge in measles cases on political leaders who’ve flirted with the anti-vaccine movement.
“This is the sadly predictable outcome of some recklessness, frankly, on the parts of some politicians in terms of questioning vaccine safety and ensuring that people are supported in accessing vaccines,” David Eby said at a Wednesday media availability.
“I will encourage all British Columbians to ensure they are vaccinated. Measles is no joke, it kills kids, it is a preventable disease, and we don’t want that to be the story of the summer for our province.”
Measles has been surging in parts of Canada, particularly Alberta and Ontario, for months, and the virus appears now to be spreading within British Columbia.
Fraser Health announced three locally-contracted cases in Chilliwack this week, all among unvaccinated people, while Interior Health has detected one case in Kamloops.
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Health officials have released a detailed list of potential exposure sites, including multiple sailings aboard a BC Ferries vessel on June 20.
“Measles is circulating locally,” Fraser Heatlh resident medical health officer Dr. Wehnzhen Zuo told Global News.
“Measles is a highly contagious disease that is transmitted by air, and if you have not fully been vaccinated, then you will be susceptible to have the disease, so even crossing paths, sharing a room (with someone who is infected), for example.”
While measles was once declared eliminated in Canada, it has become resurgent amid declining vaccination rates.
British Columbia’s vaccination rate has fallen dramatically, dropping from 90.9 per cent in 2013 to just 72 per cent in 2023 among seven year olds.
While B.C. has been spared the worst of Canada’s outbreaks so far, with just 49 cases since January compared to more than 3,300 cases nationwide, that honeymoon may be over.
The province has documented 17 new cases in the Northern, Fraser and Interior health regions since June 19 alone.
“The rate of vaccination in the general population has decreased significantly and we need to get that back up to where it was as recently as six years ago to prevent the spread of measles in the community,” said Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre.
“It isn’t just the measles. You can get pneumonia, brain swelling, seizures, long-term brain damage, and even die from the measles. Unfortunately, a baby died in Ontario earlier this year. This is very unfortunate, completely avoidable.“
Health officials are urging the public to check their vaccination records. It is recommended that anyone born in or after 1970 and who has not had two doses of the measles vaccine be immunized.
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