Northern Health warns of possible measles exposure at prenatal clinic in Fort St. John, B.C.
Potential exposure occurred at Fort St. John Prenatal Clinic on June 27, between 10:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Northern Health is warning residents of a potential measles exposure at a prenatal clinic in the Fort St. John, B.C., area.
In a social media post, the health authority said the potential exposure happened at Fort St. John Prenatal Clinic at 8407 112 Ave. on June 27, between 10:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Anyone who may have been exposed is asked to monitor for symptoms.
Those include fever, a blotchy rash, a cough and red, watery eyes.
It comes nearly two weeks since measles cases were confirmed in Wonowon, northwest of Fort St. John, as well as in other health regions in the province: Interior Health, with cases reported in Kamloops, Kelowna, Salmon Arm and the Nelson area; and Fraser Health, specifically in Chilliwack.
Earlier in June, another case of measles was reported in a visitor to B.C. who had travelled through the Interior while infectious.
According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, there have been 87 cases of measles reported in the province this year as of its latest update on July 3, with six cases currently active — all in the Northern Health region.
Health officials have stressed that anyone who isn't vaccinated is vulnerable to measles, and they encourage everyone to ensure they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines.
Risks during pregnancy
Transmission of measles during pregnancy is rare, according to specialists, and if a baby contracts the disease from the mother in utero, the impact will depend on how far along the pregnancy is.
Dr. Jacqueline Wong, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, Ont., said the risk primarily applies in cases where the mother has not been fully vaccinated.
"If they have their vaccines, then we would expect the risk to be very low," she said, saying both the mother and their unborn child would benefit from the protection.
However, she said in cases where the mother has not been fully vaccinated, there are concerns.
"Your risk of transmitting the infection to the baby varies during the different trimesters because of the development of the fetus, the development of the placenta and the blood flow," she said.
She also said that vaccination is not recommended during pregnancy, and the case serves as a reminder that anyone who has not had all their shots should seek to get them updated, particularly if they are thinking of having a child or are otherwise at risk.
"Measles is circulating now, so we want to be up-to-date," she said.
Dr. Sheryl Choo, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, says serious complications can result if people who are pregnant become infected with measles.
For instance, she says, pregnant people infected with measles can develop lung infections like pneumonia at almost double the rate of those who are not pregnant.
She says it can also increase the risk of serious complications, including miscarriage and premature birth.
Babies born to those infected with measles can also face complications related to premature birth — on top of the potential measles symptoms — such as low birth weight and breathing issues, which can result in stays in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Doctors say the measles vaccine isn't recommended to be administered to people who are already pregnant, and that it's best to get it before pregnancy.
That's because the measles vaccine contains a live strain that is a weakened form of the virus. In contrast, vaccines that contain inactivated viruses — like the flu vaccine — can be given during pregnancy.
Pregnant people who may have been exposed to measles are advised to contact their local health authority, which can determine if exposure occurred and direct patients to seek appropriate care without contributing to further spread.
With files from Amina Zafar, The Canadian Press