Porcupine Health Unit says best prevention for measles is updated vaccination

A relative handful of cases of measles are being reported in Canada, compared to tens of thousands across Europe. With March Break school trips coming home, the Porcupine Health Unit is keeping an eye on the situation. Infectious diseases manager Lynn Leggett says it’s our high vaccination rate that keeps the numbers down, but measles can occur after travel outside Canada.

“And we are seeing, because of Covid, some of our vaccine rates are a bit lower and dropped over the pandemic,” she explains, “because of people’s access to vaccination. So we are concerned a bit about that.”

That’s why the health unit always asks that vaccinations are updated before you travel internationally. “For kids, it is part of the schedule to attend school,” Leggett states. “So we’re hoping that parents kept their kids’ vaccination up to date to attend school, but are definitely monitoring the situation as people are coming back from the March Break trips.”

She adds that the safest, most effective prevention for any disease is vaccination before travelling outside the country. “We’re going through our school records right now, and if you do get a notice from the health unit that your child is due for the vaccine, please return the consent or bring your child in to get their vaccines up to date.”

More advice, including who else might need a vaccine, is in the audio link below.