National Immunization Awareness Week launched in Surrey

WATCH: Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose was in Surrey today, launching National Immunization Awareness week and talking about the importance of getting vaccinated. Jill Bennett reports.

Federal Health Minister Rona Ambrose was in Surrey this morning to kick off National Immunization Awareness Week.

The week runs from April 25 to May 2.

Canadians are being asked to make sure their vaccinations are up to date.

The minister says while vaccination rates in Canada are high, there are still pockets of unimmunized or under-immunized groups.

Ambrose says Canadians need to make sure they get their facts about immunization from credible sources like the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The government is also touting its new ImmunizeCA app that lets people keep track of their vaccinations. The app provides local notifications and outbreak alerts.

The anti-vaccine movement has been gaining strength in Canada and around the world in recent years.

While some anti-vaxxer parents in Canada may be highly educated or come from wealthy households, the main reason why this group is turning down vaccination is for health reasons. This is the typical profile of the Canadian parent who has unvaccinated children, according to a new poll.

READ MORE: Who are the anti-vaxxers in Canada? New poll profiles resistant group

Meanwhile, health authorities in Metro Vancouver say they have confirmed 11 cases of measles this year, promoting a debate on whether mandatory vaccinations are in order. It’s a debate that is happening now in California as the legislature looks over a proposed bill.

READ MORE: 11th case of measles confirmed in B.C. as debate on mandatory vaccinations continues

With files from Carmen Chai and Amy Judd