Measles Catch-Up Program Launched

By Corey Fischer

Mar 20, 2019 | 11:15 AM

The BC government has announced a program to get as many children as possible protected from measles.

The province has announced a measles immunization catch-up program that will run from April through June for children from kindergarten to grade 12

Health minister Adrian Dix (pictured) says their goal is to immunize at least 95% of young people, with the shots administered in our area by Interior Health staff through schools.

“With outbreaks of measles occurring globally and here in B.C., we know we will see threats of further outbreaks and can be doing more to raise immunization rates,” says n Dix. “That is why we are launching a catch-up program to immunize children from kindergarten to Grade 12 who have not previously been immunized against measles and to provide a dose for those who may not have received both doses.

There have been 19 confirmed cases of measles in BC, 14 centered at three schools in Vancouver, and five isolated cases.

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The province is initially purchasing $3 million in vaccine — the equivalent of a one year supply of 120,000 doses — for the campaign.

Measles is a highly infectious disease that spreads through the air.

It does not require close contact for transmission. The disease can also be spread through sharing food, drinks, cigarettes or kissing an infected person.

Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed a few days later by a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the chest.

Complications can include pneumonia, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), convulsions (seizures), deafness, brain damage and death.

The catch-up program is the first step in government’s two-phase plan to educate people about the importance of immunization and help them become aware of their immunization status. Offering the measles immunization catch-up program now will also help prepare parents for the mandatory reporting of vaccination status, which is planned for the fall of 2019.

“Very few people in BC are against all vaccinations,” said Dr. Brian Emerson, deputy provincial health officer. “Due to a variety of other factors, measles immunization rates in BC are lower than they should be to ensure herd immunity.

Without a record of immunization (or proof of immunity to a disease), a person is considered unimmunized and unprotected and should generally be immunized or re-immunized to ensure protection. It is safe to repeat immunizations.

Parents should check their children’s immunization records to be sure they are up-to-date. If they are unsure or do not have the records handy, they can check with their primary care provider or public-health unit. Parents can provide their child’s records to their local public-health unit for entry into the provincial immunization registry. If a child’s current immunization record is already on file with the local health unit, parents do not need to provide it again.

Children should receive their first dose of measles vaccine at 12 months of age and their second dose at school entry (four to six years of age).

by Corey Fischer