Information bulletin
Measles notification for locations in Richmond
Richmond, BC – People in Richmond are being alerted to a series of potential exposures to a case of measles acquired from outside Canada that resulted in exposure between Feb. 24 and March 2 at the following locations:
- Feb. 24 - March 2: Vancouver Airport Hotel, 7188 Westminster Highway, Richmond
- Feb. 26: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. – ICBC, 5300 No 3 Rd., Richmond
Measles is a highly infectious disease transmitted by airborne spread. Most people in Canada will be immune to measles due to prior immunization or natural infection. Adults born before 1970, likely had measles as a child and are immune. People born after 1970 who are not vaccinated against the disease are asked to monitor for symptoms for 21 days.
People who are not immune and exposed Feb. 28 or later can still decrease their risk of illness through booking an appointment for vaccination as soon as possible. Visit https://www.vch.ca/en/health-topics/measles to find out how to book an appointment.
Families of exposed, unvaccinated infants (under 12 months), pregnant women, and immune-compromised individuals are recommended to contact local public health or VCH Communicable Disease at 604-675-3900.
Symptoms of measles
- Fever
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Red eyes
- Rash, which starts first on the face and neck, and spreads to the chest, arms and legs. The rash lasts about 4 to 7 days.
If you become ill and suspect you may have measles, call your healthcare provider and inform them that you may have measles, so that they can arrange to see you in a manner that avoids infecting others in the waiting room. You can also call your local health unit and ask for the communicable disease nurse or call HealthLinkBC at 8-1-1, which is a free-of-charge provincial health information and advice phone line available in 130 different languages.
All children in BC should have received two doses of a measles vaccine starting at one year of age. It is often given as combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) or combined with chickenpox vaccine (varicella) vaccine (MMRV). Two doses of measles vaccine have been part of the childhood immunization schedule in BC since 1996, and all students from kindergarten to grade 12 were offered a second dose of measles vaccine in 1996. Those who have received no doses, or only one dose, of measles vaccine and are born after 1970 should obtain a dose of vaccine now to protect you against current or future exposures. Measles vaccination is available from primary care providers, local health units, and some pharmacies. Those who were born prior to 1970 are likely to be immune due to prior measles infection and do not require vaccination.
Parents and caregivers should check that their child's immunization records are up to date and submit any missing immunization records to their local health unit. This will prevent children from missing school in the event of exposure to a measles case.
- For more information, or for details about booking appointments for immunization against measles in the Vancouver Coastal Health region, visit: https://www.vch.ca/en/health-topics/measles
- Log into Health Gateway to review your immunization status: https://www.healthgateway.gov.bc.ca/
- To use the Vaccination Status Indicator tool to find out if your child's immunization records are in the Provincial Immunization Registry, visit: https://immunizebc.ca/node/51640
- To learn about reporting children's vaccination status for school, visit: https://immunizebc.ca/children/vaccine-status-reporting-regulation
Contact
Vancouver Coastal Health
media@vch.ca
604.202.2012 (after-hours)