In response to an Ontario-wide measles outbreak, with many cases occurring near Brantford, some public health units have expanded vaccinations to include infants as young as six months.
Typically, the measles vaccine is given to children at one year old and then four years old.
But with dozens of cases reported in the community, Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH) has made the first shot available to babies between six and 11 months, and the second to children before they turn four.
GEPH is offering measles vaccination clinics and appointments can be booked through their website.
Hamilton Public Health Services is also recommending the first vaccine dose be administered to infants under one year old if they’re part of travel to other areas of Ontario or internationally.
GEPH covers Brantford, and the counties of Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk.
As of Thursday, GEPH had confirmed 110 cases this year, with the majority in children and the County of Brant, officials said at a news conference.
Hamilton recently reported one measles case, but it’s linked to international travel and not the outbreak in Ontario, said Dr. Brendan Lew, associate medical officer of health, in an email Friday.
Ontario is seeing a huge surge in measles cases, mostly among unvaccinated children. Health officials say cases have nearly doubled since its last report on Feb. 27.
Note: Since this video was published, Public Health Ontario has revised the number of confirmed measles cases to 252.
Southwestern Public Health has also reported over 100 cases in recent months and has expanded its vaccination program. It covers Oxford County, Elgin County and the City of St. Thomas, south of London.
Measles ‘completely preventable’
Myriah Culp lives in the Niagara Region, where Niagara Health says nine cases have been identified. She said she’s worried her three-week-old daughter Everly, who’s too young to get vaccinated, will get sick with the measles.
“She’s too little, she has no protection and it’s very contagious,” Culp told CBC News. “I even worry about just taking her out.”
She’s “very angry” about the outbreak because the measles is “completely preventable and eradicated.”
Dr. Azim Kasmani, Niagara Region’s medical officer of health, said in an email to CBC Hamilton that “Niagara is currently not an area of concern for measles spread,” adding all local infections “are linked, and are in people who have not received any doses of measles-containing vaccine.”
Niagara is following provincial guidance for vaccination schedules, Kasmani said.
“Children should receive two doses of the measles vaccine, their first at 12 months and a second when they are between four to six years old.”
There’s no cure for the measles, but the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine has been used for more than 50 years and is “proven to be one of the safest and most effective vaccines available,” said a statement from Public Health Ontario.
Children fully immunized with two doses of the vaccine are nearly 100 per cent protected, while a single dose provides roughly 95 per cent protection.
In the last school year, only 70 per cent of seven-year-olds were fully vaccinated against measles, according to Public Health Ontario data. The agency says this represents a “large decline” from rates before the COVID-19 pandemic, as seen with many of Ontario’s routine publicly funded immunization programs.
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization says 95 per cent is needed to ensure Canada stays free of endemic measles.
Measles tends to start with cold-like symptoms like fever, cough, runny nose, and red and watery eyes, with a rash that eventually appears on the face and body.
It’s a highly contagious illness, especially among people who aren’t vaccinated, and can lead to serious health issues such as pneumonia, swelling and in rare cases death, said Public Health Ontario.
