Latest news with #DawnBowdish
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Vaccination, immunity and records: Your questions on measles, answered
Canada continues to see an alarming rise in measles cases in 2025. Through the spring, the virus spread most intensely in Ontario. But after over 2,200 cases, hundreds hospitalized and one measles-related death, it seems to be dwindling in that province. Now, Alberta's seeing a spike, with almost 1,300 confirmed cases so far. With every province except Newfoundland and Labrador reporting cases of measles, here are some common questions from CBC readers, viewers and listeners — answered. Most likely yes, says the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). It says those who have had a past measles infection should be immune against another one, as long as they have a normal immune response. I've lost my vaccination records. Should I get another dose? Generally, yes, says PHAC. PHAC recommends that children and adults who don't have records of their vaccination history be started on an immunization schedule appropriate to their age and risk factors. Even if you've already been vaccinated, it's generally considered safe for health-care providers to give another dose, PHAC says, because they haven't seen additional side effects from repeated immunization. But this is why a national vaccine registry would be hugely helpful, says Dawn Bowdish, a professor of immunology at McMaster University. "The number of people who are looking to figure out if they got one dose, if they got two doses, if they were vaccinated as children and perhaps they just moved provinces and they can't get their records is extremely high." Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine offer almost 100 per cent effectiveness against the virus in the long term. That depends. PHAC says routine testing for laboratory evidence of measles immunity is not recommended for the general population. Some populations, like health-care workers who work with vulnerable people, as well as some pregnant women, can get a blood test looking for antibodies against measles. Those who have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or those who are born before 1970, are presumed to be immune against the virus. No. Proof of vaccination is not mandatory to enter Canada. Canada does require permanent residents and certain temporary residents to have an immigration medical exam before arriving in Canada, said a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The test also screens for certain communicable diseases. During that medical exam, some may be offered vaccinations — including the measles, mumps and rubella shots. Doctors who work with recent immigrants and asylum seekers tell CBC News their patients generally don't hesitate to get any childhood vaccinations they might have missed. But, they say, the federal government can do more to ramp up pre-departure vaccination programs, and make it easier for health-care providers to access medical and vaccination records across borders.
CBC
13-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Vaccination, immunity and records: Your questions on measles, answered
Social Sharing Canada continues to see an alarming rise in measles cases in 2025. Through the spring, the virus spread most intensely in Ontario. But after over 2,200 cases, hundreds hospitalized and one measles-related death, it seems to be dwindling in that province. Now, Alberta's seeing a spike, with almost 1,300 confirmed cases so far. With every province except Newfoundland and Labrador reporting cases of measles, here are some common questions from CBC readers, viewers and listeners — answered. I've had measles as a child. Am I safe from getting infected again? Most likely yes, says the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). It says those who have had a past measles infection should be immune against another one, as long as they have a normal immune response. I've lost my vaccination records. Should I get another dose? Generally, yes, says PHAC. PHAC recommends that children and adults who don't have records of their vaccination history be started on an immunization schedule appropriate to their age and risk factors. Even if you've already been vaccinated, it's generally considered safe for health-care providers to give another dose, PHAC says, because they haven't seen additional side effects from repeated immunization. But this is why a national vaccine registry would be hugely helpful, says Dawn Bowdish, a professor of immunology at McMaster University. "The number of people who are looking to figure out if they got one dose, if they got two doses, if they were vaccinated as children and perhaps they just moved provinces and they can't get their records is extremely high." Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine offer almost 100 per cent effectiveness against the virus in the long term. Can I check my immunity to measles? That depends. PHAC says routine testing for laboratory evidence of measles immunity is not recommended for the general population. Some populations, like health-care workers who work with vulnerable people, as well as some pregnant women, can get a blood test looking for antibodies against measles. Those who have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or those who are born before 1970, are presumed to be immune against the virus. Do we screen for measles vaccination status among people who enter Canada? No. Proof of vaccination is not mandatory to enter Canada. Canada does require permanent residents and certain temporary residents to have an immigration medical exam before arriving in Canada, said a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The test also screens for certain communicable diseases. During that medical exam, some may be offered vaccinations — including the measles, mumps and rubella shots. Doctors who work with recent immigrants and asylum seekers tell CBC News their patients generally don't hesitate to get any childhood vaccinations they might have missed.
Hamilton Spectator
02-07-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Vaccination report card: How many Hamilton-area students had their vaccinations by year-end?
Higher rates of Hamilton-area students are opting out of routine vaccinations amid a rise in measles cases across Ontario. The once-eradicated disease is one of nine public school students must be protected against, however, students may apply for an exemption based on medical or philosophical reasons. In March, about 5.7 per cent of all elementary and high school students in the City of Brantford and the County of Brant and about four per cent in Haldimand and Norfolk County had vaccine exemptions, according to Grand Erie Public Health. Its region has had the second-highest number of cases (287) in Ontario's measles outbreak. But by the end of the school year, the number of exemptions had inched up 0.2 per cent for Brantford-Brant students. In Haldimand-Norfolk, it rose to 6.4 per cent. The once-eradicated measles disease has been spreading in Ontario. In Hamilton, about 4.7 per cent of students had exemptions as of June 16, up from less than 2.5 per cent about a year ago and nearly three per cent in 2018-19, chief medical officer of health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said in an email. It's also up slightly from 4.5 per cent in late March, before the most recent round of enforcement of the Immunization of School Pupils Act. It's a 'really worrisome' trend, immunologist Dawn Bowdish previously said. This suggests the rate of students trying to avoid vaccinations has increased with enforcement efforts, which ramped up in 2024-25 after being paused for several years during the pandemic. Hundreds of Hamilton-area students missing vaccination records or a valid exemption were suspended this year under the provincial legislation, which has been historically successful in ensuring high vaccination rates at schools. Enforcement will continue with additional cohorts next year, Richardson said. Exemption rates are particularly concerning when it comes to stopping measles outbreaks, a task that requires 95 per cent of the population to be vaccinated. Often certain schools or regions have greater concentrations of students abstaining from vaccines, potentially creating 'pockets of infections,' Bowdish, a professor in the department of medicine at McMaster University, said in March. Eight schools — including five private religious schools — in the GEPH region have grappled with measles exposures since January. For the health unit, it meant managing more than 30 staff and 592 student exclusions (folks who were unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or had unknown vaccination status) to protect them from catching the highly contagious virus, according to a report the board of health saw earlier this month. In Hamilton, the current rate is lower among elementary-aged students at 4.6 per cent, and higher among secondary-aged students at five per cent, a gap that has narrowed since March. A measles sign at the entrance to the Brantford General Hospital emergency department. Overall, 4,385 students — 3,012 elementary-aged and 1,374 high school-aged — of 92,618 students had exemptions as of mid-June. Students with exemptions may have received some or all routine childhood vaccines, and getting an exemption takes work, Bowdish pointed out. Applicants require either a statement from a doctor for a medical exemption or a form signed by a notary, justice of the peace or other certifier for religious or philosophical reasons. They're also required to participate in an education session about immunization and vaccine safety. No major religion explicitly prohibits vaccinations, she noted. Of the 2008, 2013, 2016 and 2017 cohorts who had submitted exemptions with GEPH, an average of less than one per cent were for medical reasons, according to public health data. Celeste Percy-Beauregard's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report on stories about Brant County. Reach her at cpercybeauregard@ . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CBC
04-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Doctors warn of 'frightening' measles complication that can strike a decade after initial infection
As Alberta's measles case counts soar, doctors and scientists are warning parents about the long-term and lesser-known complications of measles. And they can be deadly. As of midday Wednesday Alberta had reported a total of 749 cases since the outbreaks began in March. What many parents may not realize is that a rare and debilitating neurological condition, called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) can develop long after a child recovers from measles. "It just frightens the heck out of me," said Dr. Sam Wong, an Edmonton-based pediatrician and president of the section of pediatrics with the Alberta Medical Association. "Thankfully it doesn't happen very often but, when it does, it's devastating." Most people can clear the measles virus once their infection is over. But in some very young children, or people who are immune-suppressed, the virus hides out in brain cells and develops mutations that allow it to stay invisible to the immune system, according to Dawn Bowdish, a professor of immunology at McMaster University. Brain inflammation It can eventually flare up, causing brain inflammation, causing children or young adults to lose the ability to move and speak. "It starts destroying the cells of the brain — there's no treatment, there's no way to repair a broken brain — and so eventually they can end up in a coma and then they will die of it," said Bowdish. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, SSPE occurs in between four and 11 out of every 100,000 measles cases. Health officials say it strikes between seven and 11 years after an initial infection and the highest rates are among children who contract measles before the age of two. "One of the reasons we're so universally stating that people need to be vaccinated is because some of these long-term effects are just so grim," said Bowdish. Alberta's routine childhood immunization schedule recommends babies receive two doses of measles vaccine, with the first administered at 12 months and the second at 18 months. The province is offering an extra, and early, dose of the measles vaccine to babies as young as six months old who are living in the south, central and north health zones, where the current outbreaks are most intense. As the lead medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services in the South Zone, Dr. Vivien Suttorp worries about young babies whose mothers are unvaccinated. Typically, antibodies are passed along to the fetus during the third trimester, which protect them during their first few months of life, she said. But if a mom isn't immunized, the baby won't have that early protection. "They're extremely vulnerable to getting measles after birth ... and of the complications," she said, pointing to SSPE. "That's very concerning. And there is no treatment for that." According to Alberta Health, SSPE declined with the widespread adoption of measles immunization decades ago. Three cases of SSPE were reported in Alberta in 1984, followed by one case in in 1986, one in 1990 and one in 1992. No cases were reported from 1993 to 2013. In 2014, there was one more case reported in a woman who was born outside of Canada with an unknown history of measles immunization. Immune memory impacts In recent years, measles vaccination rates in Alberta have declined, and experts say that has paved the way for surging outbreaks. "Another curious complication [of measles infection] is immune amnesia," said Suttorp. Measles can wipe out a person's immune memory, she said, and make people more susceptible to other infections for months and even years. "So not only when someone has measles are they at higher risk for an infection like a bacterial pneumonia … but this also happens up to two to three years later," said Suttorp. "There is a memory loss of viruses and bacteria that someone has been exposed to before and mounted antibodies to." Bowdish said this this longer-term immune system complication happens because measles infects and kills a specific type of immune cells. "We know that people who've had measles tend to need more doctors appointments, more antibiotics and they're more susceptible to other infections for months to years to follow because measles destroys the very immune cells that we use to protect ourselves," she said. According to Bowdish, more severe initial infections trigger the loss of more immune cells and make the long-term impacts worse. She's particularly worried about infants under six months old,who are too young to be vaccinated. "Those are some of the people who are the most likely to have these really rare and severe complications," said Bowdish. "There is nothing we can do except vaccinate the people around them to protect those really, really young babies." These long-term complications are in addition to the risks that come during the initial infection, which include ear infections, pneumonia, brain swelling and death. Measles infections are fatal in roughly one to three out of every 1,000 cases, according to the Alberta government. Provincial data shows most of this year's cases are among children (569 of the 749 cases this year are under the age of 18). And the vast majority of cases are among people who are unimmunized. "Please vaccinate your child," said Wong. "It's very concerning from my point of view that, as the numbers increase, the risk of these longer-term side effects will increase, because it's a numbers game." Measles symptoms include: High fever. Cough. Runny nose. Red eyes. Blotchy, red rash that appears three to seven days after the fever starts. In darker skin colours, it may appear purple or darker than surrounding skin. Alberta Health provides detailed information on measles case counts, symptoms and free immunizations here. A list of possible exposure alerts can be found here and a measles hotline is available for people with questions about symptoms, immunization records or to book an appointment: 1-844-944-3434. A standing measles exposure advisory remains in effect for southern Alberta, due to widespread transmission in the region.
Hamilton Spectator
02-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Hundreds more Hamilton students out of class for vaccine suspensions
More than a thousand Hamilton students missing vaccination records were suspended in what public health has said is the final wave for the school year. On Friday, 1,215 elementary students at Catholic schools, as well as students at French and private schools, were removed from class, associate medical officer of health Dr. Brendan Lew said in an email. Seven hundred of this group remained suspended as of Monday. This is the third round of post-pandemic enforcement, which numbers show has been effective in ensuring records are up to date. Of the 3,197 Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board elementary students missing records in January, 76 hadn't complied following suspensions of up to 20 days, the maximum time permitted under the Immunization of School Pupils Act. Among public and Catholic high school students, 316 were still missing records after 20-day suspensions, down from 7,615 in March. To comply with the act, Ontario students must submit proof of vaccination against nine illnesses — diphtheria, mumps, tetanus, polio, rubella, pertussis, varicella (if born after 2010), measles and meningococcal disease — to public health units, or request an exemption for medical or religious or philosophical reasons. As of late March, 4.5 per cent of Hamilton students were exempt, up from less than 2.5 per cent about a year ago and nearly three per cent before the pandemic in 2018-19. It's a 'worrisome' figure, Dawn Bowdish, a professor in the department of medicine at McMaster University, said at the time. The March rate was lower among elementary students at 3.9 per cent, and higher among secondary students at 6.3 per cent. About six per cent are exempt in Haldimand-Norfolk, the location of a measles outbreak of more than 100 cases, The Spectator reported in March. The highly contagious disease continues to spread in Ontario, with one case confirmed in Hamilton earlier this year. In Brantford and Brant County, the exemption rate is lower at about four per cent. Students without records or an exemption return to school after 20 days and 'would be subject to future enforcement' in future school years, Lew said. Public health will continue to remind these families to update their records. Planning for next year is 'ongoing,' he said, noting that elementary cohorts that didn't undergo enforcement this year, which includes those born between 2013 and 2016, will be prioritized.
