Measles cases in B.C. rise to 102, with majority in Northern Health region

There are now 102 cases of measles in B.C.

Deputy provincial health officer, Dr. Martin Lavoie, provided an update on Thursday, saying of the 102 cases, 73 are in Northern Health, 10 in Fraser Health, eight in the Interior, eight in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, three on Vancouver Island and none in the First Nation Health Authority region.

As of July 8, there is one active, contagious measles case and 10 patients are hospitalized.

The majority of cases of measles in B.C. are in individuals who are not fully immunized, the province said in an updated media release.

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The largest age group infected is among those aged five to 17, at 49 per cent, with those between ages 18 to 54 in second at 30 per cent.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control previously said that as of Monday, there have been 99 reported measles cases in B.C., so far this year, but only one remains active.

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Of those 99 cases, 71 were located in the Northern Health region.

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In comparison, Ontario has reported more than 1,900 confirmed cases since October, and Alberta has had more than 1,200 infections since March.

Health experts have expressed concerns that summer events and travel could increase case counts of the highly contagious virus.

The best and most effective way to prevent measles is by getting the vaccine. Lavoie said that if someone doesn’t know if they are fully protected, they should call 811 or speak to their family doctor.