Algoma Public Health is urging area residents to make certain they are vaccinated against measles.
There is a surge in measles in Ontario, mostly among unvaccinated people.
“Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications, especially for infants, pregnant individuals, and those with weakened immune systems,” wrote Dr. John Tuinema, APH acting medical officer of health in an email to SooToday Friday.
Measles symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes, followed by a red, blotchy rash that usually appears on the face and neck first before spreading to the chest, back, hands and feet.
Measles is common in children but adults can also get the disease. Unvaccinated individuals of all ages are at risk. Public health officials state the best way to prevent measles is through vaccination.
“The measles vaccine is safe and highly effective, with two doses providing nearly 100 per cent protection. We encourage everyone born in 1970 or later to check their immunization records and ensure they are up to date,” Tuinema wrote.
Those who are uncertain of their vaccination status can contact their primary care provider or APH’s Immunization Program at 705-759-5409.
“In Algoma, 86 per cent of seven-year-olds and 96 per cent of 17-year-olds were up to date with their measles vaccinations in the most recent school year (2023-2024),” Tuinema wrote.
APH recommends that routine vaccination of children against measles should include one dose at 12 months of age and a second between 4 and 6 years of age.
Almost all of the new measles cases in Ontario have been linked to an interprovincial outbreak first reported in New Brunswick which has also spread to Manitoba.
The disease hasn’t spread to the Sault and Algoma District - at least not yet.
“There are currently no confirmed cases of measles in Algoma. The last reported case in the region was in 1995,” Tuinema wrote.
The spread has resulted in 31 hospitalizations in Ontario, including one child who required intensive care; 30 of those hospitalized patients were unvaccinated.
“There have been no Emergency Department visits for children with measles at this time,” wrote Brandy Sharp Young, Sault Area Hospital spokesperson in an email Friday.
A majority of Ontario's cases are concentrated in southwestern Ontario among unvaccinated people.
However, one case was reported in the north in the past week by the North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit.
As reported earlier, Public Health Ontario is reporting 372 total cases since an outbreak began on Oct. 28, 2024.
That’s a jump of 195 cases since the agency’s last report on Feb. 27.