Monday, February 23, 2015
Grey Bruce Health Unit
Measles Not Present in At Risk Individual
The results of laboratory testing confirm a local unimmunized individual considered at risk for measles does not have the virus. The individual in question was among 29 people from Grey Bruce who attended the “Acquire the Fire”, a large group event held in Toronto at Queensway Cathedral on February 6 and 7, 2015, where a person with a confirmed case of measles also attended.
Of the Grey Bruce individuals who attended this event, three were found to be unimmunized or only having one dose of the measles vaccine instead of two. Those individuals were requested to immediately self-isolate for 21 days after exposure or until they are cleared of measles risk. Symptoms of measles begin 7-21 days after exposure.
The last measles case in Grey Bruce was in 1997. Grey Bruce has high immunization rates. Rates in 2014 based on school immunization records were 93.4 per cent coverage for 7 year olds and 96.1 per cent coverage for 17 year olds. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect against the measles virus.
As of February 20, there were 17 confirmed measles cases in Ontario.
Media Contact:
Drew Ferguson
Media/Public Relations Coordinator
Grey Bruce Health Unit
519-376-9420 or 1-800-263-3456 ext 1269
D.Ferguson@publichealthgreybruce.on.ca
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