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Tag: outbreaks

Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

B.C.’s premier says measles spikes across Canada a result [of] anti-vax ‘recklessness’

Published June 25, 2025

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Published by: The Canadian Press
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By Chuck Chiang

VANCOUVER – British Columbia Premier David Eby says the growing spread of measles across Canada is “the sadly predictable outcome” of the “recklessness” of anti-vaccination politicians.

Eby says the disease is “no joke,” given the potentially serious impact on those infected, and it’s preventable with two vaccine shots.

He told a Vancouver news conference that the focus for provincial public health authorities now is to make sure that people who are not protected receive full vaccination.

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Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

Check this list to see if you were exposed to measles in B.C. this month

Published June 24, 2025

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Published by: Vancouver Sun
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The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has released detailed reports of where people may have been exposed to measles in B.C.

B.C. CDC says there are 12 currently active cases of measles in B.C. and that 17 new cases were reported in Fraser Health, Interior Health and Northern Health regions since June 19. Forty-nine cases have been reported this year.

Continue readingCheck this list to see if you were exposed to measles in B.C. this month
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Topic: AlbertaView all posts for the topic: Alberta

Measles ‘out of control,’ experts warn, as Alberta case counts surpass 1,000

Published June 21, 2025

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Published by: CBC News
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By Jennifer Lee

Alberta’s measles outbreaks have now eclipsed the 1,000-case mark and infectious disease specialists are warning the virus is “impossible to contain,” given the current level of transmission.

The province reported another 24 cases on Friday, including 14 in the north zone, nine in the south and one in the Edmonton zone.

This brings the total confirmed cases since the outbreaks began in March to 1,020.

Continue readingMeasles ‘out of control,’ experts warn, as Alberta case counts surpass 1,000
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Topic: measlesView all posts for the topic: measles

Ontario confirms death of infant infected with measles

Published June 5, 2025

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Published by: CTV News
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By Joshua Freeman

An infant in southwestern Ontario who contracted measles from their mother before birth and was born prematurely has died, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health says.

The child’s mother had not been vaccinated against the viral illness, Dr. Kieran Moore said in his statement.

While measles can be fatal, especially for young children, Moore noted the child also faced other “serious medical complications.”

“While measles may have been a contributing factor in both the premature birth and death, the infant also faced other serious medical complications unrelated to the virus,” Moore said.

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Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

BC Won’t Require Measles Vaccination for Schools

Published May 29, 2025

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Published by: The Tyee
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By Michelle Gamage

Canada is in the middle of the largest measles outbreak it has seen in generations, with 2,515 cases so far this year as of May 17, which is the most recent data reported by Health Canada as of Monday.

Despite the spread of the disease B.C. is not considering making measles immunization mandatory for attending school, as it is in Ontario and New Brunswick, the Health Ministry told The Tyee in an emailed statement.

“There is no requirement from the province for students to be vaccinated to attend school, or that students’ immunization records be provided as part of school registration,” the ministry said.

Instead its strategy is mostly a reactive one, where it will use data to respond to outbreaks and exposures. B.C. will also encourage people to get vaccinated and will open school-based immunization clinics in some areas with low vaccination rates.

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Topic: measlesView all posts for the topic: measles

Measles cases increase by 173 in Ontario, bringing outbreak’s total close to 1,800

Published May 22, 2025

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Published by: The Canadian Press
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By Nicole Ireland

TORONTO – Public Health Ontario says 173 more people have been infected with measles in the province over the past week, bringing the number of cases to 1,795 since the outbreak began last October.

“That’s 173 more cases than we want to see,” said Dr. Sarah Wilson, a public health physician at the agency.

Public Health Ontario’s weekly measles report, released Thursday, said the virus continues to spread primarily among people who have not been vaccinated.

Continue readingMeasles cases increase by 173 in Ontario, bringing outbreak’s total close to 1,800
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Topic: measlesView all posts for the topic: measles

Ontario reports nearly 200 new measles cases as virus spreads across Canada

Published May 8, 2025

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Published by: CBC News / The Canadian Press
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By Hannah Alberga

Health officials say measles infected 197 more people in Ontario over the last week as the highly contagious disease emerged in new parts of the country.

That brings the province’s tally of probable and confirmed cases to 1,440 since an outbreak began in October.

Public Health Ontario’s measles report says there have been 101 hospitalizations, including 75 children. Eight patients have been in intensive care.

Nova Scotia and Northwest Territories each reported measles cases earlier this week, marking their first since this outbreak began.

Alberta reported yesterday that its overall case count had reached nearly 300 since mid-March, including three patients under the age of 18 in intensive care.

Saskatchewan updated its cumulative count to 27 cases today, a day after Manitoba reported it had reached 24 cases.

Measles has mostly infected unvaccinated children, infants and teenagers, with almost 500 cases in Ontario’s southwestern public health unit.

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Topic: Nova ScotiaView all posts for the topic: Nova Scotia

1 case of measles confirmed in Nova Scotia

Published May 6, 2025

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Published by: CBC News
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By Carolyn Ray

Nova Scotia is confirming its first case of measles.

Dr. Robert Strang, the chief medical officer of health, told a news conference Tuesday that the patient is an adult in Halifax who recently travelled to the United States. They went to the emergency department at the QEII hospital in Halifax on Sunday night.

“We were well prepared for this,” Strang said. “Appropriate steps were taken very quickly when this person came in for care to minimize exposure.”

Strang said the patient had one dose of the measles vaccine when they were younger, but did not receive the second. The Health Department said in a news release that “people generally need two [doses] to be fully vaccinated” against measles.

Continue reading1 case of measles confirmed in Nova Scotia
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Topic: Northwest TerritoriesView all posts for the topic: Northwest Territories

Measles exposure advisories sent to some Yellowknife parents

Published May 4, 2025

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Published by: Cabin Radio
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By Ollie Williams

Letters warning of a “confirmed case of measles” were sent to parents of various Yellowknife schools on Sunday evening.

Initially, families at St Patrick High School and Weledeh Catholic School reported receiving an advisory that exposure occurred at St Pat’s – including areas shared with Weledeh – from 8am till 5:40pm on each of April 28, April 30 and May 1.

“All persons present at this venue during the time period are considered to be exposed and must follow public health guidance,” read the letter, issued by the NWT’s chief public health officer, Dr Kami Kandola.

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Topic: Ottawa-GatineauView all posts for the topic: Ottawa-Gatineau

Ottawa has its 1st confirmed measles cases of the decade

Published May 1, 2025

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Published by: CBC News
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Ottawa has its first confirmed measles cases since 2019, part of the still-growing outbreak in many parts of the province.

Ontario has now reported 1,243 measles cases across 17 public health units, including 223 new cases in the week since its last update.

That includes new cases in Algoma Public Health in the Sault Ste. Marie area and Renfrew County’s health unit northwest of Ottawa.

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New travel-related measles case found in the Lower MainlandColourized transmission electron micrograph of a measles virus particle (gold), with a purple background. Photo: CDC and NIAID. Licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Generic license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Topic: British ColumbiaView all posts for the topic: British Columbia

New travel-related measles case found in the Lower Mainland

Published April 26, 2025

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Published by: CityNews
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By Emma Crawford

A new case of travel-related measles has been confirmed in the Lower Mainland this week.

Fraser Health says a traveller from Ontario who went to Vancouver and Chilliwack on April 20 has a confirmed infection of the virus.

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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Ontario reports 95 new measles cases, sending total above 1,000 since outbreak began

Published April 24, 2025

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Published by: The Canadian Press
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By Nicole Ireland

TORONTO – Public Health Ontario is reporting 95 new measles cases since last week, bringing the total number of people infected past 1,000.

It says a total of 1,020 people have had measles since the province’s outbreak began last October.

The agency says the ongoing rise in cases is “due to continued exposures and transmission among individuals who have not been immunized.”

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Ontario School Safety Calls on Province for an Immediate Vaccine-PLUS Strategy to Tackle Current Measles OutbreakColourized transmission electron micrograph of a measles virus particle (red), with a blue background. Photo: CDC and NIAID. Licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Generic license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Ontario School Safety Calls on Province for an Immediate Vaccine-PLUS Strategy to Tackle Current Measles Outbreak

Published April 24, 2025

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Published by: Ontario School Safety
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Toronto, Ontario – [April 24, 2025] – In an urgent appeal to protect the health and safety of Ontario’s students, education workers, and families, Ontario School Safety (OSS) has issued an open letter asking the Ontario Provincial Government and Public Health Ontario for an immediate vaccine-PLUS strategy, which includes the essential role of healthy indoor air, to curtail the spread of measles. This critical request comes in the wake of concerning measles infection rates – as of April 17th, 2025, Public Health Ontario is reporting 925 measles cases in the province, more than five times the number of cases than the total number of cases over the last 12 years. Encouraging a vaccine-only strategy is insufficient due to barriers to access, and because measles spreads not only through direct contact with secretions or contaminated surfaces, but through the air we breathe.

Continue readingOntario School Safety Calls on Province for an Immediate Vaccine-PLUS Strategy to Tackle Current Measles Outbreak
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Topic: measlesView all posts for the topic: measles

Measles outbreak ends in Quebec as number of cases explodes in Ontario

Published April 22, 2025

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Published by: Radio-Canada / The Canadian Press
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The measles outbreak that began in Quebec in December has officially ended, the Ministry of Health has confirmed. The situation is quite different in Ontario, which has recorded more than 900 cases.

The spread has stabilized in Quebec in recent weeks, with the last recorded case dating back to March 18. Quebec has confirmed 40 cases of measles during this outbreak, with the vast majority (32 cases) in the Laurentians.

According to the government’s technical parameters for the management of measles cases, contacts and outbreaks in Quebec, the end of the outbreak is set at the 32nd day following the last presence of the last contagious case in an environment.

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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Measles is spreading in Ontario — here’s what you need to know

Published April 15, 2025

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Published by: Ottawa Citizen
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By Elizabeth Payne

A major outbreak of measles has infected more than 800 people in Ontario. It’s the first outbreak of its size since the disease was declared eliminated in 1998.

Now, lower vaccination rates are leading to a serious outbreak in the province, enough to garner a travel advisory to the province from New York State south of the border.

Here’s what you need to know about measles — how it’s transmitted, how you can protect yourself, and whether you need to update your vaccinations.

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Topic: OntarioView all posts for the topic: Ontario

Ontario measles case count exceeds 800 total infections, 155 new since last week

Published April 10, 2025

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Published by: The Canadian Press
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By Hannah Alberga

TORONTO – Ontario is reporting 155 new measles cases over the last week, pushing the province’s case count to 816 since an outbreak began in the fall.

The number of new cases has increased again after a few weeks of appearing to stabilize in the 100-per-week range, which public health physicians had taken as a sign of potential optimism.

Dr. Sarah Wilson, public health physician at Public Health Ontario, says the fact that Ontario has exceeded 800 cases is striking.

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Topic: wastewater monitoringView all posts for the topic: wastewater monitoring

Amid Canada’s largest measles outbreak in more than a decade, experts say this COVID-era tool could help

Published March 26, 2025

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Published by: CBC News
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By Jennifer La Grassa

As Canada deals with its largest measles outbreak in more than a decade, health experts say a COVID-era tool could help tame the spread.

Wastewater surveillance, which involves testing sewage samples for viral pathogens, became essential during the pandemic. The data helped overwhelmed health officials map out COVID-19’s path and better predict the trajectory of cases.

At the time, it was praised as a critical public health tool that could serve as a warning system to keep Canadians safe from future harmful infections. And as the current measles outbreak surpasses 500 cases in Canada, experts say this is the moment where leaning into regional wastewater surveillance would be most helpful.

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Topic: measlesView all posts for the topic: measles

Ontario sees another sharp rise in measles cases while outbreaks grow in Quebec, Alberta

Published March 20, 2025

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Published by: CTV News / The Canadian Press
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By Hannah Alberga

There’s been another sharp increase in Ontario measles cases as the province begins to release weekly reports on the infectious disease.

Public Health Ontario is reporting 470 measles cases since an outbreak began in October. That’s an increase of 120 cases since March 14.

The spread resulted in 34 hospitalizations, including two people who needed intensive care. Most of those hospitalized were unvaccinated kids, including one of the intensive care patients.

The outbreak expansion adds to the growing concern of rising measles cases in different parts of the country, including in Quebec where there are 40 cases and Alberta where there are 13, according to the latest data.

Continue readingOntario sees another sharp rise in measles cases while outbreaks grow in Quebec, Alberta
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