Third case of measles in capital region confirmed

A third case of measles has been confirmed in the capital region, bringing the total to 23 cases in the province.

Island Health reported this morning that one new case of measles infection in an adult has been found.

“At this point, we don’t have any specifics other than we can confirm a new case on southern Vancouver Island,” said Dr. Dee Hoyano, medical health officer at Island Health.

This latest case of measles does not appear to be related to the two previous cases confirmed last week in Greater Victoria, involving two adults, not related to each other, who contracted the disease while travelling in Vietnam, or other cases in the Lower Mainland also related to international travel.

“There’s no known relationship to either of the cases we had in Victoria or others linked to international travel or from the Lower Mainland,” she said.

The health authority said it has contacted people who may have come in contact with the latest infected individual, who visited a few health facilities prior to being diagnosed on April 2.

The health authority is also alerting people who may have come in contact with the person at a thrift store and a grocery store in Saanich.

If you are not immunized or only partly immunized and visited Beacon Community Thrift Store, at 7060 West Saanich Rd., or Fairway Market, at 7108 West Saanich Rd., between noon and 3 p.m. on March 30, call the Saanich Health Unit at 250-519-5100 to find out where to get vaccinated this week.

If you are not immunized or only partly immunized and have been exposed to someone with measles, the ideal time to get the vaccine is within a six-day window after exposure.

Those who never had the measles infection, or who did not have two doses of vaccine, are at highest risk of measles.

One vaccination shot is 85 to 95 per cent effective for preventing measles, while two shots are 99 per cent effective.

Symptoms of measles include fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, diarrhea and red eyes, followed a few days later by a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the chest.

Island Health recommends if symptoms occur to call one’s health provider before visiting so they can take precautions to prevent transmission.

Island Health urges anyone who has never had measles or who did not have two doses of vaccine to get fully immunized, which is free.

Last month Health Minister Adrian Dix announced a measles immunization catch-up campaign, an effort to vaccinate 95 per cent of the province’s youth. In 2018, just 82 per cent of seven-year-olds had received both doses of the measles vaccine, as recommended.

Island Health says in the past five weeks, it has administered about 3,474 measles vaccinations — more than double the previous year.

Island Health is also offering to provide any other vaccines a client is behind on at the same appointment.

Public health units continue to offer extra clinics to meet increased requests for immunization appointments.

— Cindy E. Harnett, Times Colonist