The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says it shares concerns raised by international health experts this week about the renewed risk of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases among children.
In a statement to Global News on Thursday, the agency noted that measles vaccine uptake in Canada has declined in recent years, but pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination among some parents as reasons for ‘a current decrease in vaccinations.
“Canada’s provinces and territories have indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions, delays and gaps in routine immunizations for children,” the statement said.
There are currently no active cases of measles in the country, but three cases have been reported this year, according to the latest PHAC report.
A joint report released Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared measles to be an “imminent” global threat due to declining of vaccine coverage and the weakness of disease surveillance during COVID-19. 19 pandemic.
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Read more: Measles spread an imminent threat due to the COVID-19 pandemic, say WHO and CDC
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Measles spread imminent threat due to COVID-19 pandemic, WHO, CDC say
The report noted that by 2021, a record nearly 40 million children worldwide had missed a dose of the measles vaccine as the pandemic disrupted and delayed routine immunization programs.
“It’s very concerning,” Shelly Bolotin, director of the Center for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases at the University of Toronto, told Global News on Thursday.
“When coverage is reduced globally, it’s a concern for all of us because we live in a globalized world and sometimes measles imports come from other countries.”
In accordance with WHO guidelines, Canada has set a vaccination coverage target of 95% for the first dose of measles at age two and a second dose at age seven.
A survey conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic showed that 90% of two-year-olds had received at least one dose of the measles vaccine. It is a two-dose vaccine with the second injection at 18 months or usually before the child starts school.
However, the pandemic has disrupted childhood vaccinations in the country.
1:00 Possible consequences for not getting vaccinated against measles
In Ontario, thousands of students were behind on vaccines that were normally given in schools, health officials warned in April.
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Routine immunizations usually provided by doctors, such as the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, had also been delayed in some areas due to the pandemic, they said.
Meanwhile, in Alberta, provincial data from the Calgary area showed in September that measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunization rates had dropped from 86 per cent of children with two doses to seven years in 2019 to 78 percent. cent in 2021.
In an earlier interview with Global News, infectious disease specialist Dr. Craig Jenne said that figure is far below the 95% coverage needed to prevent a measles outbreak.
A combination of factors such as persistent social distancing measures and the cyclical nature of measles may explain why there hasn’t yet been an explosion of cases globally despite growing immune gaps, but that could change quickly, according to Patrick O’ Connor, WHO Measles Officer.
“We are at a crossroads,” O’Connor told Reuters on Tuesday. “It’s going to be a very difficult 12-24 months trying to mitigate this.”
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According to PHAC, measles was eliminated in Canada in 1998 thanks to vaccination efforts, but occasional outbreaks occur due to international travel. However, the removal was “re-verified” in July this year.
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PHAC urges Canadians traveling abroad to consult travel health advisories for information on measles and rubella outbreaks occurring in other countries.
“Measles anywhere is a threat everywhere, as the virus can spread rapidly to multiple communities and across international borders,” says the WHO.
Bolotin said public health reminders to parents about the importance of vaccination were “absolutely” important given the new report’s findings, especially if their children missed their appointments during the height of the pandemic.
He also stressed that the measles vaccine is “incredibly safe,” despite some concerns among skeptic groups, and has been used effectively for decades.
“I hope, despite the conversations that have been going on about COVID-19 (vaccines), that people will trust this (measles) vaccine and trust the way their health care providers are communicating with them,” he said. to say.
Read more: Measles cases rise 79% globally after COVID-19 hits childhood vaccination campaigns
Measles is a highly contagious and serious respiratory disease that can be spread by direct contact or through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. The virus can also be spread by touching contaminated surfaces.
Initial symptoms include high fever, runny nose, cough, watery eyes and small white spots inside the mouth. Several days after the first symptoms appear, a red rash appears on the face and body, which lasts about a week.
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Bolotin called measles vaccine coverage “the canary in the coal mine” for child health, because of how infectious the disease is. The infectious period can start up to four days before symptoms appear, he said, and can last up to four days after symptoms end.
“When there’s something that’s gone wrong with child health, child vaccination, one of the first things that jumps out at us to let us know is measles outbreaks,” he said.
Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, thousands of young children worldwide die from measles each year.
About nine million measles cases and 128,000 deaths were reported last year, according to the WHO. Health Canada says more than 140,000 deaths occur on average each year, most of them children under the age of five.
— with Reuters and The Canadian Press archives