Measles outbreak 'just a plane ride away', Manitoba health official warns

Manitoba doctors are urging people to protect themselves from measles, as health officials across the country warn that a measles outbreak could occur in Manitoba as cases increase in Europe and elsewhere. are doing.

The World Health Organization has warned that there were 42,200 measles cases in Europe last year, more than 40 times the 941 cases in 2022.

Health officials in other parts of Canada told CBC News it's only a matter of time before cases start to rise in the country.

Dr Raj Bhardwaj says Viral infections can lead to lung infections, weakened immunity, blindness, hearing loss, brain damage, and even death.

“The virus can be transmitted through infected mucus and infected surfaces like toys, but it's mostly transmitted through the air,” Bhardwaj said in an interview with CBC Manitoba this week. information radio.

“This virus can survive on surfaces for several hours. Even after an infected person leaves the area, it remains airborne for several hours,” he said.

“And it's so contagious that when one person gets measles, they infect more than 90 percent of the people around them who don't have immunity.”

Bhardwaj said there are many factors behind the measles resurgence, the biggest one being the disruption of routine vaccination programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Public health officials have been busy administering COVID-19 vaccinations. Many vaccination programs around the world are being implemented through schools, and many schools have been closed,” he said.

“So our herd immunity has declined, and we think that for measles to work, more than 95 percent of the population needs to be immune.”

States concerned about decline in vaccinations

Provincial medical officer of health Dr. Davinder Singh said Manitoba's measles vaccination rate has certainly declined since the pandemic began.

Singh said 78.1% of 2-year-olds in the state were vaccinated by the end of 2022, up from about 85.5% in 2020.

“unfortunately, [the pandemic] “It led to access issues related to vaccination,” he said.

“We have previously noted that immunization rates for early childhood immunizations are declining… You can also see some of the work that public health agencies have done to increase immunization rates over the last year. It may have happened.”

Singh said parents of children born between 2019 and 2021 who have not received the measles vaccine are receiving notifications that their vaccination is overdue. Outreach activities to connect with such families are also being stepped up.

Mr Bhardwaj said people born after 1970 should ensure they have received two doses of the measles vaccine to achieve full immunity. In addition to vaccination, he recommended practicing good hand hygiene and wearing a mask in crowded indoor situations and when traveling.

Singh said the state is always prepared for measles outbreaks, but added that “having a measles outbreak just a plane ride away is a serious concern.”

He said it is especially important for adults traveling to have documentation of whether they have been vaccinated against measles.

“Fortunately, there are no localized outbreaks of measles in Canada, or where cases are known, they are transmitted by people traveling from destinations where measles is endemic.” he said.

“What would be defined as an outbreak really depends on what disease you're talking about. But measles doesn't exist here, so even one person would be considered an outbreak. .”

Singh said Manitoba's last reported measles case occurred in 2019.

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