Ottawa health officials bracing for potential cases of measles

Amid a province-wide measles outbreak, Ottawa health authorities are bracing for the possibility of the virus emerging in the city. 

As of yet, there are no known cases of measles in Ottawa, but the virus is spreading in other parts of eastern Ontario.

"There is a large outbreak in Ontario and we have to be prepared that we may see measles cases in Ottawa," said Dr. Trevor Arnason, interim medical officer of health for Ottawa Public Health (OPH).

According to Public Health Ontario, there have been 804 confirmed and probable cases of measles in the province so far this year.

The South East Health Unit, which covers Kingston and Belleville, reported 58 cases of measles as of April 9, which is 22 more than the previous case count a week prior.

"The fact that we're seeing measles spread in Ontario makes us more concerned about making sure that our immunization rates are as high as they can possibly be, because that's the best preventive measure against measles," he said.

Across the country, cases of measles have been surging in recent months, with a total of 914 cases as of April 11. It's the biggest spike since measles was eradicated in Canada more than 25 years ago.

Immunization high in Ottawa

Arnason said he believes the reason Ottawa has yet to have a case is because of the city's high immunization rate, but he added there's still room to boost those numbers.

To attend primary or secondary school in Ontario, every student must be vaccinated against several diseases, including measles.

As of April 6, 80 per cent of students born in 2017 and 92 per cent of students born in 2007 are compliant with the measles vaccine, according to OPH.

Some students could have received the vaccine but have not yet reported it to OPH, the health agency added.

Arnason said when or if a measles case emerges in Ottawa, the city has established an emergency preparedness plan with local hospitals and healthcare providers.

CHEO taking action

Stephanie Davenport, associate medical director at CHEO, said clients come into the hospital every day worried they've contracted measles.

Since so many viruses, especially in pediatrics, cause fevers and rashes, Davenport said people have been assuming their child has measles.

"Measles has a very sort of stereotypical pattern of the rash. It always starts at the head and works its way down," she said.

In an effort to prevent a possible outbreak in Ottawa, Davenport said CHEO has altered its patient intake protocol.

If a parent suspects their child has measles, they should now enter through the hospital's ambulance bay. Once there, they can call a nurse for guidance on how to seek care.

Ultimately, however, Davenport said the best way to protect against the highly contagious virus is to get vaccinated against it.

"I think there's a lot of vaccine hesitancy and fear in the public right now … this vaccine has been around for decades, and it's one of the safest and most effective vaccines," she said.