Measles exposure warning issued in Richmond: VCH

Vancouver Coastal Health has issued a warning about a possible exposure to measles in Richmond.

The health authority says anyone who was at the Vancouver Airport Hotel on Westminster Highway between Feb. 24 and March 2 may have been exposed.

Another possible exposure may have occurred at the ICBC office on No. 3 Road between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Feb. 26.

Anyone who is not immunized and suspects they may have been exposed after Feb. 28 is still encouraged to decrease their risk of illness by getting vaccinated as soon as possible.

The case in Richmond is the first case to be reported in the province in five years.

The province says measles is spreading due to a decline in vaccinations during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the World Health Organization, global measles cases rose 79 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022.

In 2023, a total of 12 cases were reported in Canada.

Measles is a highly infectious, airborne virus that most Canadians are immune to due to prior immunization or natural infection, VCH says.

Symptoms include a fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash that can last for about four to seven days.

British Columbians can visit Vancouver Coastal Health’s website to learn more about their immunization status.

With files from Charlie Carey