A Central Okanagan school and the Kelowna International Airport have been identified as locations where people have been exposed to the measles virus.
On June 26, Interior Health issued a public alert that there are now five confirmed cases in the health region. One case has been reported in Kelowna, two in Kamloops, one in Salmon Arm and one in the Nelson area.
Approximately 65 per-cent of seven-year-old children in the Okanagan are vaccinated against the measles virus, meaning approximately 35 per-cent of children aged seven and younger are at risk of infection. The provincial average for measles vaccination is 72 per-cent, which is still well below the 95 per-cent required for herd immunity, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC).
The measles vaccine offers nearly 100 per-cent immunity against infection, is safe and has been rigorously tested.
There are now more than a dozen active, confirmed cases of measles across the province, all reported since the beginning of June. The B.C. CDC acknowledges that others may be infected with the virus but the case has not been reported.
Known exposures of the highly contagious virus in Kelowna occurred at Dr. Knox Middle School on June 17 and on a flight from Vancouver to Kelowna on June 23. According to an email sent by Interior Health to guardians of students at Dr. Knox, which Black Press obtained from a parent, an infectious case of measles attended the school on June 17. A list of known exposure locations is available on the BC CDC website.
All people who were at the school on the day of the exposure have been asked to monitor for signs of infection until July 8, as it can take weeks for the illness to become symptomatic.
Symptoms of the viral infection include fever, spots inside the mouth, cough, runny nose, ear infections, diarrhea, red and inflamed eyes, and a rash. The characteristic rash often starts on the face and neck before spreading to the chest, arms and legs, and persists for four to seven days.
Most concerningly, the viral infection can cause pneumonia, and encephalitis (swelling of the brain) leading to severe complications and death.
According to the Government of Canada, approximately 1 in 1000 people infected with measles will develop encephalitis, which can cause deafness, intellectual disabilities and a lifelong progressive, degenerative nervous system disease called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.
The degenerative disease may not present in children who were ill for more than seven years after infection.
If you may have been exposed and have not previously been infected or are unvaccinated, pregnant, immunocompromised, or have a child under one year of age, call 1-855-549-6364 and leave a message. The Interior Health communicable disease team will review your vaccine history, determine your immunity to measles, and provide recommendations.
If you develop symptoms of measles, please call 811 for an initial assessment. If you need immediate medical attention, call before arriving at the health-care facility and wear a mask when indoors.
Interior Health is offering a measles vaccine catch-up clinic on Saturday July 5, at the Interior Health building at 505 Doyle Street in Kelowna. Call a Central Okanagan Health Centre to book an appointment for vaccinations. In Kelowna call 250-469-7070 Ext 12001. For an appointment in Kelowna's Rutland neighbourhood call 250-980-4825, and in West Kelowna call 250-980-5150.
