10 infants need protective medication after potential measles exposure, CPHO says
'We're trying to start administering that product this afternoon,' says Heather Morrison
Prince Edward Island's Chief Public Health Office has now identified 10 infants who will require medication to protect them against measles, given that they are too young to have been vaccinated.
On Thursday, the office confirmed two new, unrelated cases of measles on P.E.I., with the people involved having been in public places while contagious.
Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said Friday that the infants who will need intravenous immunoglobulin, or intramuscular immunoglobulin in some of the cases, were identified overnight Thursday and early Friday. The immunoglobulin can prevent an infection or reduce the severity if one develops.
"We have 10 little babies that we're going to be able to offer this immunoglobulin to over the next couple of days, as well as a couple of immunocompromised adults," Morrison said Friday afternoon.
"We may also identify more babies in the coming days, but we're trying to start administering that product this afternoon."
While most people on P.E.I. are protected from measles because of their age or vaccination status, Morrison said children under one year old are at high risk because they have not yet received the measles vaccine.
It's part of the province's childhood vaccine program, administered at 12 months and again at 18 months.
Public exposure sites identified
Health officials have identified the following public exposure sites:
- R&A (RaceTrac) service station, 9967 Route 6, Stanley Bridge: Saturday, June 21, between 1 and 4 p.m.
- Charlottetown Bible Chapel, 35 Lincolnwood Dr., Charlottetown: Sunday, June 22, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.; and Sunday, June 22, between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.
- HomeSense, 1-202 Buchanan Dr, Charlottetown: Sunday, June 22, between 6 and 8:30 p.m.
- Morell Co-op, 7690 St Peters Rd., Morell: Monday, June 23, between 10 a.m and 1 p.m.
- Adams Chiropractic, 100 Capital Dr., Charlottetown: Monday, June 23, between 4 and 6:30 p.m.
- Princess Auto, 15 Saint Dunstan St., Charlottetown: Monday, June 23, between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.
- Ultramar Gas Station, 11302 St Peters Rd., Scotchfort: Monday, June 23, between 5 and 8 p.m.
- WestJet flight 3540 from Kamloops, B.C. to Calgary: Wednesday, June 25 (departed at 5:50 a.m.)
- West Jet flight 630 from Calgary to Charlottetown: Wednesday, June 25 (departed at approximately 8:50 a.m.; landed around 4 p.m.)
- Charlottetown Airport: Wednesday, June 25, from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
Health officials ask that people reach out to the CPHO if they and/or a dependent were on the June 25 flights or at one of the exposure locations during the times specified, and any of the following apply:
- They are not protected against measles and are pregnant.
- They are under one year old.
- They are immunocompromised (even if they are vaccinated).
Islanders can reach the Chief Public Health Office by emailing outbreak@ihis.org or calling 1-800-958-6400 to arrange for post-exposure treatment. People are asked to provide their full name, date of birth, contact information and location at which they were exposed.
Morrison said high-risk individuals who may have been exposed need to reach out as soon as possible, since there's only a certain window — about six days after the exposure to the virus — to offer immunoglobulin if they could be candidates.
Anyone who is not immune to the disease from a past case or vaccine, and has been at one of the identified exposure locations, must stay away from public settings during the contagious stage, the CPHO said. The exclusion period begins five days after the last known exposure to measles and ends 16 days after the start of the exclusion period.
Public settings include schools, childcare facilities, post-secondary institutions, workplaces and any other public or group environment.
Current vaccine recommendations
The measles vaccine is part of the province's childhood vaccine program, administered at 12 months and again at 18 months.
The CPHO's current recommendations for vaccination are as follows:
- Adults born before 1970 are considered to have acquired natural immunity and do not require the vaccine.
- Anyone travelling outside of Canada should receive one dose of measles vaccine.
- Adults born in or after 1970 who have neither had measles nor received two doses of vaccine should receive two doses.
- Regardless of age, students entering post-secondary education, health-care workers and military personnel should receive two doses if they have no evidence of having had measles and no documentation of having received two doses of the vaccine.
Symptoms
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, sore eyes and a red rash that begins on the head and spreads down to the trunk and limbs. Serious complications can occur, such as blindness, viral meningitis or pneumonia — or even death, as was the case recently for two unvaccinated children in Texas.
The measles virus spreads through the air when a person who is infected breathes, coughs, sneezes or talks. It may also spread through direct contact with droplets from the nose and throat of a person who is infected, according to the CPHO.
The measles virus can stay in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours after a person who is infected has left the space. Someone with measles is contagious for four days before the rash is noticeable, and for up to four days after the rash occurs.
If you or your family members develop symptoms described above from now until 21 days after being at one of the listed exposure sites on P.E.I.:
- Consult a health-care provider as soon as possible.
- Avoid being in contact with other people, specifically people considered at high risk: children under the age of 12 months, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals.
- Wear a mask if you leave your household.
- Avoid taking public transportation to get to your medical appointment.
- Inform your health-care provider and health-care facility that you have been in contact with a measles case before presenting yourself for your appointment so that appropriate measures can be taken to prevent spreading the disease to others.
With files from Island Morning