Health experts warn measles outbreak is spreading
Posted March 13, 2014 5:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) – The Fraser Health Authority is warning that a measles outbreak is spreading outside the original school and religious groups.
Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Paul Van Buynder says one child from the Fraser Valley has been admitted to hospital so far. “We’re worried that this now going to spread into the younger age groups. We’ve had one hospitalization of a young nine-year-old child to date, but if this continues, we expect that we’ll see more severe disease in younger children.”
He says the best protection against the disease is two doses of vaccine.
Arrangements are being made to have more vaccine distributed to doctors and pharmacies from Abbotsford to Hope, and vaccination clinics are being set up.
The authority says children under five years old are the most at risk of serious disease and need to get a vaccinated.
Word of the outbreak came last weekend when the authority reported that two students at one independent school in Chilliwack had measles.
