The province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health is urging Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to get vaccinated for measles, as incidents of the virus increase globally.
The highly infectious condition can spread quickly through unvaccinated or under-vaccinated populations. And while most people who become infected will recover, some may be left with a disability and others could die.
Areas of Europe, for example, are seeing unusually high numbers of cases.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says vaccination against measles is very effective at preventing it.
It’s part of the routine childhood immunization program in the province for kids from 12 to 18 months of age.
Fitzgerald says NL had one of the highest vaccination rates for measles in Canada at 95 per cent for two-year-olds in 2022, and 93 per cent for those of kindergarten age.
People who have both doses of the vaccine or have had measles in the past are at very low risk of becoming infected, she said.
Fitzgerald recommends infants 6-12 months of age receive one dose before travelling. Those born in 1970 or later should receive two doses before travel, while anyone born before 1970 should have a single dose for prevention.
The measles are characterized by high fever, runny nose, coughing, red eyes and general discomfort, with a rash on the face and body. A person with the virus is considered contagious four days before the rash appears and can remain contagious for up to four days afterward.
