2024-03-05 04:31:34
MONTREAL — With around ten confirmed cases of measles, Quebec is the epicenter of transmission of this virus in Canada. The low vaccination rate in certain regions of the province worries public health authorities, but they ensure that protocols are in place in the event of an explosion in the number of cases.
At a press conference in Montreal on Monday, the national director of public health, Dr. Luc Boileau, said he was concerned regarding the situation. He wants to focus on vaccination to avoid a strong spread. He also reminds that the vaccine is safe and offered free throughout Quebec and that it is the best way to protect yourself once morest the virus.
According to the Quebec vaccination schedule, children receive the vaccine at 12 and 18 months and it can be administered free of charge at any age. Dr Boileau specified that the vaccination offer would be adapted according to demand and that “the necessary supply of vaccines is assured”.
The majority of measles cases — seven in total — are found in the Montreal region, where vaccination rates once morest this virus are the lowest, particularly in elementary schools. Rates as low as 30% have been observed in certain schools, Dr. Mylène Drouin, regional director of public health for the Montreal region, said at a press conference.
The average measles vaccination rate in Montreal schools is 78.5% for primary schools and 82% for secondary schools.
“We are well below 95% to ensure collective immunity,” underlined Dr. Drouin. To make up for the delay in certain schools or daycares, targeted vaccination campaigns are planned for the return from spring break.
To explain the low vaccination coverage, Dr. Boileau spoke of vaccine fatigue. “We saw it with pandemic vaccination, we have a drop in interest of around 2 or 3% (…) and it can be more than that in certain contexts, vaccine hesitancy has increased a lot,” says he.
He also affirmed that compulsory vaccination was not envisaged for the moment.
More cases anticipated
Health authorities expect the number of cases to climb in the coming weeks, but it is difficult to measure the extent of the expected increase, said Dr. Drouin.
“A single outbreak in a very vulnerable environment, with little vaccination, can generate hundreds of contacts and dozens, even hundreds of cases,” emphasized Dr. Drouin.
“I’m not telling you that we have thousands that we will apprehend in a few days, but it can rise quickly, very very quickly,” warns Dr. Boileau in turn.
Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh, microbiologist-infectious disease specialist at CHU Sainte-Justine, said that the protocols established during the COVID-19 pandemic might be used to avoid the spread in the event of a very increased growth in cases, such as green zones and red zones in hospital environments. However, the situation does not require these measures at the moment.
Measles is an extremely contagious disease. A single case can infect 16 unprotected people, said Dr. Quach-Thanh. “If it falls in a CPE or a poorly vaccinated environment, it is possible that there will be a lot of cases around a first case of measles,” she commented.
Measles can cause serious complications such as blindness, encephalitis, pneumonia, and even death in some cases.
The main symptoms are high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and general malaise, followed by redness on the face and then on the body, indicates the Ministry of Health.
Although ten cases reported for the entire province do not seem alarming at first glance, what worries health authorities is that there are several cases of local transmission and that vaccination coverage is insufficient to protect the most vulnerable.
For each case of measles declared in Quebec, a public health investigation is carried out to determine the origin of the infection and to identify people at risk of having been exposed to the measles virus.
Montreal public health has posted a list of 14 places that people with measles have frequented on the website santemontreal.qc.ca. People who have not been adequately vaccinated who have been in these places are asked to remain vigilant regarding their symptoms, isolate themselves if necessary, and wear a face covering if they attend a health establishment and speak to staff regarding their condition upon their arrival. .
The emergency rooms of CHU Sainte-Justine are among the places exposed to cases of measles. Parents who were in the emergency room with their child on February 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 may have been exposed to the virus. Hospital staff attempted to contact any infants who were not vaccinated, but public health is asking parents to monitor their child’s symptoms and isolate them if they develop any.
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