What you need to know and do about measles

Please read the following important message from Fraser Health.

As your Public Health and Preventive Medicine Doctors at Fraser Health, we are concerned about measles in Fraser region. Measles is a highly infectious and serious disease caused by a virus. It can lead to complications like pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and even death. We hope the information in this letter will help keep families protected from measles.

Measles cases are being reported across Canada now. The risk of measles infection and disease transmission is high among those not immune to measles.

To protect yourself, your family, and your community from measles infections and outbreaks, we recommend you take following steps within the next few weeks:

1. Know measles signs and symptoms:
   1. Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, and red and inflamed eyes, followed by a rash. The rash usually starts first on the face and neck, and spreads to the chest, arms and legs. It lasts about 4 to 7 days.
2. Check your family’s vaccination records and update your vaccinations as needed.
   1. Go to BC Health Gateway to look up your and your children’s immunization records.
   2. Update your records so your doctors and nurses have most up to date information.
3. Get vaccinated against measles:
   1. Immunization is the best way to prevent measles and is very effective in preventing disease. Please check that you (if born after 1970) and your children have received at least two doses of measles containing vaccine.
   2. Measles vaccination is given as a two-dose series.
      1. Children are routinely provided with two doses of a measles-containing vaccine: The first dose is given as the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 months of age. The second dose is given as the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine around kindergarten entry, between 4 to 6 years of age.
   3. In Fraser Health, measles vaccines are available at many convenient pharmacy locations and physician offices, as well as at all public health units.
4. Stay home when sick: If your children have symptoms of measles, please keep them home. Please avoid sending the children to schools, to group activities, classes or parties and other social events, while they are symptomatic. This will protect your friends and families, other school children and staff, as well as members of public.
   1. If you need to seek healthcare and are worried you or your children may have measles, please call ahead. This allows clinics and hospitals to put in measures to limit the risk of spreading measles to other patients and staff.
       

We work to keep our communities safe and healthy. Let us work together to prevent an outbreak that affects our schools and communities.

Sincerely,

Medical Health Officers at Fraser Health