Public health officials in Canada are urging the public to understand the importance of measles inoculation—now and always. This call to action follows the heartbreaking death of a young premature infant from a measles infection. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, offered her deepest sympathies to the family that is mourning. She went on to detail the debilitating complications that measles can wreak on mothers and infants alike.
At a press conference in Montreal, Dr. Tam announced that Canada has an abundant supply of MMR vaccines. This supply is poised to pounce on any increase in demand. She urged people who have any doubt about their vaccination status to get an MMR dose. This new facility has become necessary to protect our beloved celebrities.
Look forward to getting vaccinated as soon as you are eligible! If you’ve already put off getting one until the last minute, don’t wait—go right now and get your vaccine, Dr. Tam stated.
Dr. Sarah Wilson, infectious disease specialist and Senior Medical Officer with the Public Health Agency of Canada, supported Dr. Tam’s message. She went on to clarify how serology, or bloodwork, can tell if a pregnant person is immune to measles. This test is key in determining immunity. Both physicians agree that the measles vaccine is overall more beneficial, even to those who might be questioning their immunization status. Their assumption is that this is preferable to simply choosing to avoid a blood test altogether.
Dr. Wilson further illustrated that when it’s unknown if someone has the MMR vaccine, serology testing can be helpful to make that determination. This small-scale test is used to identify whether the person has the genetic predisposition to develop the disease. If they’re in contact with someone with measles, we can provide them very quickly with something known as post-exposure prophylaxis. This treatment significantly lowers a person’s risk of developing measles.
Our public health officials are shocked and saddened by the recent death of an infant. Sadly, this premature baby contracted measles while still in the womb. Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, expressed that the baby was dealing with severe medical complications. These adverse events were not directly attributed to the virus.
Dr. Tam underscored the urgent need for women of child-bearing age to be immune to measles in advance. In fact, measles can endanger pregnant women in addition to infants, Dr. Chase said.
With the rapid spread of this outbreak and increasing public health risk, public health officials had to act. In southwestern Ontario, where the rate of infection is higher, they’ve lowered the minimum age for giving the MMR vaccine from 12 months to six months.
“Vaccine remains our best defense against the virus,” Dr. Tam said. It protects vulnerable populations that can’t be immunized like pregnant women, children under six months of age and those with compromised immune systems. With summer just around the corner, travel booking is picking up. Public health officials emphasize the importance of everyone reviewing their vaccination lifecycle and discussing amino-therapy with their physicians to discuss their immunization status.
Dr. Tam added, “I think it’s telling us that we need to be very, very vigilant against measles.” She stressed the need for a vigilant eye in our neighborhoods.
