B.C. health officials urge parents to update children’s vaccinations ahead of school year

British Columbia’s deputy provincial health officer is urging parents to ensure their children are up to date on their vaccines as most kids prepare prepare to return to school next week.

“Children will soon start to gather in schools or child care spaces, and they will interact with more people from outside of their households. This means they will be more exposed to various infectious diseases,” said Dr. Martin Lavoie. He said immunizations can help protect children from illnesses like measles, mumps and rubella, polio, whooping cough and chickenpox.

Lavoie said the province is seeing an increase in measles cases in particular. 

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCDC) said, as of Aug. 25, there had been 232 confirmed or probable measles cases since the beginning of the year. The vast majority of those cases were in the Northern Health region and reported in the last three months. 

The centre said measles is highly contagious and can be spread through the air, by touching objects contaminated with the virus or by direct contact, such as sharing drinks. 

Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny nose, and inflamed eyes, along with a spreading rash. 

The centre said measles can lead to serious illness, including pneumonia, brain inflammation, and even death, and 1 in 10 people with measles need to be hospitalized. At least two doses of the measles vaccine is recommended for everyone born in 1970 or later. 

B.C.’s Ministry of Health said in July the majority of measles cases have been in individuals who were not fully vaccinated.

There is also an ongoing measles outbreak across Canada, with federal data showing 4,700 cases so far this year. About 44 per cent of cases were in school-aged children

Lavoie said parents or guardians can book an appointment at a health unit or at some doctor or nurse-practitioner offices. Children over four years of age can also get vaccinated at some pharmacies.

Lavoie adds school-age children are routinely offered the human papillomavirus vaccine in Grade 6, and tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and meningitis vaccines in Grade 9 at clinics held in schools.