Friday, March 29, 2019 ~ VICTORIA.
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc. ~ West Shore Voice News
All public and independent schools in BC will be asked to participate in a push by BC Health for greater measles immunization levels among children in Kindergarten to Grade 12.
That starts on April 1, right after spring break. Health Minister Adrian Dix held a media conference about it on March 20.
Two cases of measles have now on March 29 been reported by Island Health (with exposure to others having been on March 6, 8 and 9 at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria).
Immunization levels were at 88% in recent years in BC but by 2018 had fallen to 82%. “That’s not good enough,” said Dix, who says there is no reason for measles to be active when ‘herd immunity’ (i.e. enough people immunized that the disease is effectively eliminated — as achieved in 1998) can be achieved at 95%. As of March 22, there have been 20 cases of measles in BC (outbreaks were in Greater Vancouver, none on Vancouver Island).
This has been the impetus for reinforcement of the immunization message. “It’s a catch-up campaign focused on parents and children who have not been immunized,” said Dix.
“We want to do as many as possible then get a report on how successful it is,” he said. BC Health will want feedback from school districts on May 1, June 1, and July 1, ahead of a new mandatory reporting system coming September 2019.
It’s still spring break on the west shore, so the trustees at Sooke School District 62 (SD62) have still not seen the Ministry of Health’s information about the measles immunization ‘catch up’ campaign.
SD62 Chair Ravi Parmar has told West Shore Voice News: “The Board appreciates the interest the government has taken on this file and hopes the proper supports and resources will be provided to school districts to achieve the goals outlined.”
Children may receive the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine at 12 months and 4 years. People born before 1970 are generally assumed to have acquired immunity to measles from natural infection, and therefore the MMR vaccine is not recommended, says BC Health. Measles immunity is not passed along through breastmilk.
For anyone born after January 1, 1970 (i.e. younger than 49 years), two doses of MMR are recommended. If travelling, vaccination is recommended. https://immunizebc.ca/travellers | More info: www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-feature/measles
For general information about measles visit the Island Health website: https://www.islandhealth.caR
The news about measles reporting through schools was first published on page 1 and page 4 in the March 22, 2019 issue of West Shore Voice News