Newfoundland and Labrador has not had a single case of measles in the past while, bucking the national trend, but health officials are well aware that thousands will be descending on the province for the Summer Games in a few weeks.

Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, says they have a committee comprised of medical personnel that meets internally regularly and also converses with other jurisdictions across the country, as well as the Canada Games Host Committee.

Dr. Fitzgerald partly attributes the province’s ability to fend off the measles to its high vaccination rates. She advises people to ensure that their vaccinations are up to date.

“We have communication with other jurisdictions making sure that people coming into the province bring their vaccination records with them, and we have been doing some tabletop exercises based on what our response would be if we did have a case of measles,” says Dr. Fitzgerald.

People are encouraged to contact their local public health office to access their vaccine record, determine if they are eligible for a measles vaccine, and schedule an appointment.

People in the Eastern Urban Zone can also phone the Vaccine Review Intake Line at 1-877-752-8171 for more information.