Health official warns of low measles vaccination rates in Vernon

Jun 11, 2025 | 6:00 AM

With increasing cases of measles cropping up across Canada, including in B.C., health officials are advising people get caught up on their immunizations.

An official with Interior Health spoke at the Vernon City Council meeting Monday, June 9, and indicated that the virus had been taking hold in parts of the country recently, primarily in Ontario and Alberta, but also in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.

There had been no public exposures in the Interior as of time of publication, though there was a risk of measles spreading if it did reach Vernon due to a low vaccination rate.

“For measles, the vaccination rate in the Vernon LHA (local health area) for the past quarter is about 76 per cent when looking at two-year-olds, and about 64 per cent for seven-year-olds,” Dr. Jonathan Malo, Medical Health Officer with IH, told city council.

“We certainly have a lot of room where we can try to improve those [rates] by increasing awareness and letting those families know they are not up to date.”

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He noted the herd immunity vaccination rate for measles is 95 per cent.

Interior Health and the Ministry of Health are running initiatives to contact people and encourage them to get caught up on their immunizations so as to avoid catching and spreading measles.

An immunization clinic with extended hours had also been established at the Vernon Health Centre for the public to access.

Malo attributed the low vaccination rates to a few factors when speaking with council.

“There’s a number of things that can contribute to that over time: certainly anti-vaccination sentiment, which we know we saw a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic, but then also other things like complacency,” Malo said.

“When we don’t have a lot of measles around, or other vaccine-preventable diseases, people don’t get as concerned about making sure their children are up-to-date. So, that’s why we’re really taking this opportunity to do this extra reach out to the families with children who are overdue to let them know that measles is circulating across Canada and it wouldn’t be a surprise if at some point in the future we do start to get cases in the Interior region.

He highlighted how there is a very real risk of people getting measles and authorities have longer hours at the vaccination clinics to make it convenient, particularly for working families.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control stated measles is a highly contagious disease and results in roughly one in 10 people being hospitalized. It can also cause serious complications in people such as pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, and even death.

by Liam Verster

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