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Health officials on the Island seeing increased demand for measles vaccine

Health officials on the Island seeing increased demand for measles vaccine

CBC08-04-2025

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While there are no cases of measles on Prince Edward Island, and haven't been any for 12 years, the province's Chief Public Health Office is encouraging people to get the vaccinated — especially if they plan to travel.
Islanders seem to be doing their part to keep a lid on the disease, with public health nursing seeing an increase in the number of people asking for the vaccine.
"Two doses of this vaccine, it's 98 per cent effective. It's really good," said Dr. Heather Morrison, P.E.I.'s chief public health officer.
"The recommendation is really if you're [doing] air travel or driving to places that may have measles, including Quebec and Ontario… it's really important to get vaccinated."
Immunizations for measles, mumps and rubella are free and available through public health nursing. People interested in getting the vaccine can check its availability on the province's website.
Islanders urged to seeks shots as P.E.I. manages to stay measles-free, for now
4 hours ago
Duration 2:03
Demand for the measles vaccine is up on Prince Edward Island. There are still no cases in the province, but with the virus on the rise in other parts of North America, the chief public health office says preparation is key. CBC's Sheehan Desjardins explains.
There have been no measles cases on P.E.I. since 2013, but health officials are monitoring the situation elsewhere in the country.
Toronto Public Health recently warned residents in the city that they could be in danger of measles exposure. Last Tuesday, 14 cases were reported in the Region of Waterloo, Ont., just a few weeks after the area confirmed its first case.
"This is a disease that we really have seen very little of in North America," Morrison said.
"There have been young people who have had serious outcomes south of the border, but also hospitalizations in Ontario, for instance, particularly with young children."
As of Monday, two unvaccinated children had died of complications related to measles in Texas, where at least 500 people were confirmed to have been infected in recent weeks.
What to watch for
Measles symptoms can include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, a red rash that begins on the face and spreads down the body, and small blueish-white spots on the inside of the mouth and throat.
The incubation period for the virus can be up to 21 days, said Morrison, but symptoms can also appear within 12 days of exposure.
Most Canadian children are vaccinated against measles when they're one year old, then again at 18 months. Public health will vaccinate infants early, between six months to a year, if their parents plan to travel with them.
Many adults born before 1970 are considered to have a natural immunity to the virus, but Morrison said they should still get one dose of the vaccine before travelling this year.
With so many people travelling at this time of year, Morrison said it's important to be vigilant in case measles hitches a ride back to P.E.I. with someone.
"There are certain populations here that are at risk because they're not vaccinated," she said. "Trying to make sure that we work with these communities and individuals and answer questions and get the information out as best we can is going to be something that's important for us."

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Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Instead, she says, she was subjected to severe physical and mental abuse, along with psychiatric experimentation that would later become infamously known as the Montreal experiments. Now 83, frail and requiring a walker, Ponting travelled from Winnipeg to be at the Montreal courthouse Monday as authorization hearings in a class-action lawsuit over the alleged abuse began. 'It's destroyed a lot of lives,' Ponting said outside the courtroom, anger in her voice. '(I want them) to see us, to feel us. I'm alive. I will not stop. I will fight until the end.' 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