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CBC
22-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
4 schools flagged for possible measles exposure in Waterloo region as cases rise
There are four schools in Waterloo region now being identified as potential public exposure locations for measles as public health warns that cases will rise. "Waterloo region continues to see an increase in cases and exposures locally, which is consistent with the trajectory of the provincial outbreak," Lynsey Slupeiks, the manager of corporate communications for the Region of Waterloo, said in a news release Friday. As of Wednesday, Waterloo region has had 78 confirmed measles cases and 22 probable cases — that's since the provincial outbreak in October. Slupeiks warns that measles exposure can happen in a variety of settings, from schools to public transportation. "I think what we're seeing now is that there is a circulation throughout the region… not just in isolated geographical areas," said David Aoki, the region's director of infectious disease and chief nursing officer. 4 school exposures Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener was closed on May 15 and 16 after public health confirmed a case of measles, with exposures on May 7 and 8. St. Mary's High School in Kitchener was then closed on May 16, also following a confirmed case of measles from exposures on May 8. Both schools have since reopened, but not everyone has returned to school, Aoki said. "If students have no doses [of vaccine]… they unfortunately have to be excluded for the entire 21 days," said Aoki. The 21-day exclusion period, according to Aoki, is the number of days students without up-to-date vaccination records have to be excluded from attending school counted from the last day of exposure. That's the period of time it can take for someone who was exposed to the virus to develop signs and symptoms of measles and potentially become infectious. "A single dose will not allow them to get back into school… [but] there is a small number of students who may be able to return if they only had one dose, and we have provided clinics with the schools already to help service them," he further explained. Aoki said "the vast majority" of students and staff at the two schools were fully immunized. "That's partly thanks to our annual running of the Immunization of School Pupils' Act to make sure that students' records are up to date," he said. Two other schools in the region were also identified as potential public exposure locations. Winterbourne Parochial Elementary School in Kitchener had exposures on May 2, and Franklin Public School in Kitchener had exposures on May 12 and 15. The two schools were not closed. Aoki says the measles cases are "still predominantly similar" to what is happening on a provincial level. That is, most of the confirmed cases are people who are unvaccinated, or are only partially vaccinated. Guelph school exposures Guelph and the surrounding area were declared as a "risk area" for measles early May. Three public schools in Guelph were identified as exposure locations so far in May. Erin Public School has had exposures on three separate occasions – May 1, 2, and 5. Paisley Road Public School has had exposures between April 30 and May 1. Guelph Outdoor School was reported to have measles exposure on May 2. Despite the exposures, none of the Guelph schools were closed. Expanded eligibility for measles vaccine In the news release Friday, public health announced new guidelines for the expanded eligibility for measles vaccine. The guidelines are as follows: Infants age six months to one year of age are recommended to receive a single dose of vaccine (they must receive two additional doses after their first birthday). Children aged one year to four years are recommended to receive an earlier second dose of vaccine as soon as possible (in the routine schedule they were eligible after four years of age). Adults born on or after 1970 are now recommended to receive a second dose of vaccine if they do not already have one. Aoki says public health is working on arranging clinics to get people who may not have health care providers, as well as those who need support in getting vaccinated.
CBC
20-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
70 cases of measles now reported in Waterloo region as health officials urge vaccination
With measles cases on the rise in Ontario, especially in Waterloo region, a local doctor is warning people to stay vigilant when it comes to exposure. Dr. Rabia Bana, the Region of Waterloo's associate medical officer of health, said on Tuesday morning that there are 70 cases locally "and we continue to receive more reports of confirmed cases of measles in our region." Late last week, two Kitchener high schools shut down because of measles cases. Bana told CBC News the decision to close the schools was not taken lightly. "When we have a case in a school setting, in order to ensure that there isn't further exposure and further spread, we need to assess and verify vaccination records for all the students and all the staff," she said. At Eastwood Collegiate Institute, the exposures happened May 7 and May 8 while at St. Mary's Catholic Secondary School, the exposure was on May 8. Full protection against the measles requires two doses of the vaccine, typically given in intervals as a child. Bana said those who are not fully protected against measles will not be allowed to attend school for 21 days from the time of exposure. That's the period of time it can take for someone to develop signs and symptoms of measles and potentially be infectious to other people. "The safest thing to do to ensure that the infection doesn't spread in the school community is to have those individuals be excluded from the school setting for that period of time," Bana said. Unvaccinated people face higher risk Bana says public health is working with both of the school boards, staff and students to provide instructions on next steps if they're not vaccinated. Students will also be given the opportunity to update their vaccination records if needed. For those who are fully vaccinated against measles, the risk is "extremely, extremely low," she said. "In the current outbreak in Ontario, the vast majority of cases remain in unvaccinated individuals," she said. There have been a total of 1,622 reported cases in Ontario and 182 new cases as of Thursday. Bana warns that everyone who believes they've been exposed to measles and are staying home should monitor closely for symptoms in the next 21 days. Those symptoms are similar to cold and flu ones – fever, cough, runny nose – and can develop into white spots in the mouth and a blotchy red rash that spreads from the face downwards throughout the body. Individuals with weakened immune systems, children under one year old and those who are pregnant are at a higher risk of complications from measles. In the meantime, Bana said the goal is to avoid more school closures. Through the Immunization of School Pupils Act, student records are verified "fairly quickly," but Bana said large schools will also need to check the immunization records of staff, many of whom do not have vaccination records on file, and therefore that will take "a little bit of time." 'It's become kind of like politics or religion' Kimia Eslah and Andrew Cant are local parents of a son preparing to attend Eastwood Collegiate Institute in the fall. They said they're not worried about exposure for themselves, although said the exposures could impact things like high school orientation events for incoming students. Eslah and Cant say they're open about their own vaccination status, but they don't find they really talk about it with other people. "The pandemic made an impression on our relationships and how we talked about things like vaccines with family members and friends," said Eslah. "It's become kind of like politics and religion. We don't approach the topic ... and we certainly don't tell them in any way how to govern their lives." Cant said he's not hearing much of a discussion among parents for high school aged kids. "Our kid is old enough that we're out of the heavy childhood vaccine schedule," he said. "I guess it's not as much for anybody to talk about because you either did it on the schedule or you didn't." Raven Grant is finishing up a final year at a local high school and said there's been some talk among students. "It's kind of hard because a bunch of our friends go to those schools. I know a few people in Eastwood who are kind of freaked out because it happened in the class next to them, or happened in their class, or one of their friends have it," Grant said. "It's just kind of frustrating because if you don't get your vaccinations, stuff like this happens and it's just going to continue to spread throughout schools."
CBC
16-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
2 Kitchener high schools closed Friday after measles cases
Two Kitchener high schools are closed on Friday due to measles cases. Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener will remain closed on Friday after a positive measles case at the high school and St. Mary's Catholic Secondary School is also closed on Friday. The Waterloo Catholic District School Board said the positive case at St. Mary's means exposure to measles by staff and students on May 8. "Out of an abundance of caution and to allow time for public health to complete necessary vaccination verification and help prevent further spread of the virus, St. Mary's will be closed on Friday," the board said on its website. The Waterloo Region District School Board says the confirmed case at Eastwood means there was exposure to measles by staff and students on May 7 and 8. "Due to the time necessary for Region of Waterloo Public Health to complete the required steps in vaccination verification, the school will remain closed on Friday," the school board said in a notice on its website. The school was also closed on Thursday. Both boards say students will learn asynchronously and "may also work on previously-assigned work or spend time reviewing material previously covered," the school board said. There are now 59 measles cases in Waterloo region and 53 in the area covered by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. The new numbers were released by Public Health Ontario on Thursday and reflect 11 new cases in Waterloo region and seven in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph between May 6 to May 13. In all of Ontario, there were 182 new cases in the same time period, bringing the total to 1,622.
CBC
16-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
2 Kitchener high schools closed Friday after measles cases
Social Sharing Two Kitchener high schools are closed on Friday due to measles cases. Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener will remain closed on Friday after a positive measles case at the high school and St. Mary's Catholic Secondary School is also closed on Friday. The Waterloo Catholic District School Board said the positive case at St. Mary's means exposure to measles by staff and students on May 8. "Out of an abundance of caution and to allow time for public health to complete necessary vaccination verification and help prevent further spread of the virus, St. Mary's will be closed on Friday," the board said on its website. The Waterloo Region District School Board says the confirmed case at Eastwood means there was exposure to measles by staff and students on May 7 and 8. "Due to the time necessary for Region of Waterloo Public Health to complete the required steps in vaccination verification, the school will remain closed on Friday," the school board said in a notice on its website. The school was also closed on Thursday. Both boards say students will learn asynchronously and "may also work on previously-assigned work or spend time reviewing material previously covered," the school board said. There are now 59 measles cases in Waterloo region and 53 in the area covered by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. The new numbers were released by Public Health Ontario on Thursday and reflect 11 new cases in Waterloo region and seven in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph between May 6 to May 13. In all of Ontario, there were 182 new cases in the same time period, bringing the total to 1,622.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kitchener high school closed after measles exposure, cases in Waterloo region climb to 59
Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener is closed for Thursday after a confirmed case of measles. The Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) says the school was closed to give Region of Waterloo Public Health the time it needs to complete required steps in vaccination verification. The confirmed case of measles at Eastwood Collegiate also caused exposures on May 7 and May 8. Public health will be reaching out to people who may have been exposed to the virus on those days. They will be given information about the required next steps. "We continue to work closely with public health to ensure appropriate infection prevention and control practices are in place and that we have the necessary support," WRDSB said in a notice posted online on Wednesday night. David Aoki, the region's director of infectious disease and chief nursing officer, said public health didn't order the school to be closed but they "work together with the school board" to make the decision. "Public health did not say that it must be closed, but we certainly support the the decision in this case while we work to work through this kind of exposure," he said. "We do have to verify for staff and students what their their records are. We obviously have a lot of the student records already because of the Immunization of School Pupils Act, but it's based on the timing and our ability to do that." The public school board said Eastwood students will continue their classes virtually. It says some students may use the day to work on previously-assigned homework. There were 920 high school students across Waterloo region who were suspended from school last week for not having up-to-date vaccination records on file with public health. The news is particularly concerning because there's a rise of measles cases throughout the province, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's medical officer of health, said in a release last Thursday announcing the suspensions. "Vaccination is the best way to protect against serious illness," Wang said in a press release. The Immunization of School Pupils Act says students must be vaccinated or have a valid exemption on file in order to attend school. 59 cases in Waterloo region There are now 59 measles cases in Waterloo region and 53 in the area covered by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. The new numbers were released by Public Health Ontario on Thursday and reflect 11 new cases in Waterloo region and seven in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph between May 6 to May 13. In all of Ontario, there were 182 new cases in the same time period, bringing the total to 1,622. Dr. Nicola Mercer, CEO and medical officer of health for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, said in an email to CBC News on Thursday that the area has been designated a risk area for transmission of measles and people should take that seriously. "The virus is spreading in the general population and those who are not vaccinated or immune are at risk for getting and transmitting measles," she said. "I encourage everyone who is not yet vaccinated to contact your primary care provider or public health." Aoki said they are also encouraging people who are not fully vaccinated to talk to a doctor or public health about their options. He said there are people who are opting not to get themselves or their children vaccinated, and in some cases, that's because people have forgotten how serious measles can be. "There are people who have concerns about vaccines and then we try to reach those," he said. "I think for measles, unfortunately, is a victim of its own success," he added. "We really haven't seen any outbreaks or transmission of measles like this since the 1990s and really that's because of vaccines. So we haven't ... had to worry about measles deaths or injuries because we haven't seen it." Schools in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph with exposures In the area covered by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, four schools are listed as having measles exposures, with one school having three separate exposure dates: April 28 to April 29 — Central Peel Public School in Drayton. May 1 — Erin Public School. April 30 to May 1 — Paisley Road Public School. May 2 — Guelph Outdoor School. May 2 — Erin Public School. May 5 — Erin Public School. Other exposure locations Region of Waterloo Public Health says measles starts out feeling like a cold, with symptoms such as a runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever, and red, watery eyes that are sensitive to light. After that, small white spots sometimes appear in the mouth and back of the throat and three to seven days later, a red blotchy rash appears on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. The rash lasts up to seven days. If people are exposed, they should monitor for symptoms for three weeks. The following are a list of exposure locations (not including schools mentioned above) listed by Region of Waterloo Public Health: April 24 to April 25 — Kitchener Memorial Auditorium (Bachman-Turner Overdrive: Back In Overdrive 2025 concert). April 26 to April 27 — Waterloo Region Health Network at Midtown (formerly Grand River Hospital) emergency department. May 1 — Chick-fil-A in Cambridge. May 2 — Elite Auto Care, Cambridge. May 2 — V Nails and Beauty, Cambridge. May 3 to May 4 — Shoppers Drug Mart, 700 Strasburg Rd., Kitchener. May 3 to May 4 — Waterloo Region Health Network at Queen's Blvd. (formerly St. Mary's General Hospital) emergency department. May 4 — The Indian Supermarket, 2-509 Wilson Ave., Kitchener. May 4 — Walmart at Fairview Park Mall, Kitchener. May 4 to May 5 — Waterloo Region Health Network at Queen's Blvd. (formerly St. Mary's General Hospital) emergency department. May 6 — St. Jacobs Midwives, 2-9 Parkside Drive, St. Jacobs. May 6 — Eastbridge Medical, 4-370 Eastbridge Blvd., Waterloo. May 7 — KWIC Walk-in Clinic, 5 Manitou Dr., Kitchener. May 7 — KWIC Physiotherapy, 5 Manitou Dr., Kitchener. May 7 — OM India Food Centre, 5 Manitou Dr., Kitchener. May 8 — Cambridge Gateway Medical Centre (clinic and pharmacy), 102-460 Hespeler Rd., Cambridge. May 8 — Hespeler Medical Centre, B12-350 Conestoga Blvd., Cambridge. May 8 — McDonald's, 416 Hespeler Rd., Cambridge. May 8 and May 9 — Cambridge Memorial Hospital, emergency department. May 9 to May 10 — Food Basics, Elmira. The following are a list of community exposures in the area covered by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health: April 21 to April 23 — Mar-Span Home Hardware, Drayton. April 28 — a Girl Guides meeting at Knox United Church, Caledon. April 29 — Studio 3 Dance Orangeville Dance Studio, Orangeville. April 29 — Centre 2000, 14 Boland Dr, Erin. April 30 — Henning Salon, 193 Broadway, Orangeville. April 30 — Guelph Family Martial Arts, 340 Woodlawn Rd. W. Guelph. May 1 — Guelph Medical Place Pharmacy, 83 Dawson Rd., Guelph. May 1 — Orange Care Pharmacy, 170 Lakeview Ct., Orangeville. May 1 — Orangeville Medical Imaging, 314 Broadway, Orangeville. May 1 — Boston Pizza, 35 Woodlawn Rd. W., Guelph. May 1 — Guelph Youth Music Centre, 75 Cardigan St., Guelph. May 1 — Suzuki String School, 75 Cardigan St., Guelph. May 1 — Dance Spirit Studios, 75 Cardigan St., Guelph. May 1 — The Acting Centre, 75 Cardigan St., Guelph. May 4 — Fantasy Forged Cards & Collectibles, 113 Broadway, Orangeville. May 4 — The Blackwolf Smokehouse, 139 Broadway, Orangeville.
