Thursday, February 19, 2015
Elgin St Thomas Public Health
Youth at Toronto Event Exposed to Measles
Elgin St. Thomas Public Health is issuing an important advisory to individuals who attended the “Acquire the Fire” event on February 6th and 7th, 2015 at Queensway Cathedral in Toronto. One of the people who attended the event is now ill with measles. The Health Unit has received calls on behalf of local residents who were in attendance; however, there may be others we don’t know about.
Elgin St. Thomas Public Health is urging all individuals who attended this event and who are born after 1970 to:
- Check their immunizations to ensure they have had two doses of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Anyone who is not adequately immunized should:
- Stay at home, away from babies, pregnant women and individuals with weak immune systems for 21 days since they attended the event or until they are fully immunized.
- Avoid public gatherings, school, work, daycare or any post-secondary institutions for 21 days or until they are fully immunized.
- Call the health unit at 519-631-9900 during business hours for additional guidance. Ask for a member of the Communicable Diseases Team.
Symptoms of measles include: rash and fever, cough, runny nose or inflamed eyes. If individuals who attended this event develop any of these symptoms over the next two weeks, they should contact their primary care provider and Elgin St Thomas Public Health. Please alert all health care providers by phone prior to visiting. Measles is easily spread to others and can make them very sick.
Thank you for taking these steps to protect the health of your family and others. For up-to-date information on measles activity in Ontario, please visit: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/immunization/measles_statistics.aspx.
Media Contact:
Dr. Joyce Lock
Medical Officer of Health
519-631-9900 ext 1255
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