First Nations health authority targets vaccination rates after measles confirmed in Thunder Bay

The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) is reminding people of the importance of vaccination after Thunder Bay's first lab-confirmed case of measles was reported on Friday.

SLFNHA's vice-president of community health, Janet Gordon, says the authority has held meetings with key partners to collaborate on building awareness, and will be sending regular communications up to the communities and health providers.

"We have low rates of immunization all around in the communities and our nurses have been really focused on [getting people vaccinated]," Gordon told CBC Thunder Bay.

"[As of] last fall we've been really focusing on trying to increase those numbers in the communities."

It's a disease that you don't want people to have, and it is preventable if people are vaccinated.- Janet Gordon, SLFNHA's vice-president of community health

Gordon's call also comes as health officials say measles infected 197 more people in Ontario over the last week, bringing the province's tally of probable and confirmed cases to 1,440 since an outbreak began in October. Public Health Ontario's measles report says there have been 101 hospitalizations, including 75 children. Eight patients have been in intensive care.

Measles has mostly infected unvaccinated children, infants and teenagers, with almost 500 cases located in Ontario's southwestern public health unit.

Pursuing measles as 'a crisis' in communities

Gordon said the authority is looking to pursue measles as "a crisis" in the communities.

"It's a disease that you don't want people to have, and it is preventable if people are vaccinated," Gordon said.

"So, we just want to get that message out there that, you know, communities need to support people to get vaccinated and we need to work together, not just communities, but other stakeholders and the health units that are here that are in the Northwestern Health Unit and Thunder Bay Health Unit as well."

In addition to immunization rates being low in the region's First Nations, Gordon said it's hard to connect community members with nurses. But she said SLFNHA has been "trying really hard to increase MMR [measles, mumps, and rubella] vaccinations in the communities."

Gordon said there's also a need for more nurses and other resources to serve remote communities.

"The nurses that we have [are] not adequate for the work that needs to be done in public health. We're just focusing on MMR, but there's other vaccinations that need to be done," she said.

"So, resources for nurses, resources for travel to bring those workers to communities and, certainly, like places to work and do that actual vaccination and to have support at the community level, that would make it certainly more productive for  the nurses that are going up there."

Measles vaccine 'very effective' pediatrician says

Meanwhile, Thunder Bay general consultant pediatrician Athena Young says families need to know that being vaccinated is the best way to guard against measles infection.

"We know the measles vaccine is the most effective vaccine that has been created really, and it's very effective. So, if you have two doses of the measles vaccine, you are almost 100 per cent protected," Young said  in an interview on Superior Morning.

With the first case now being reported, Young says she's mostly concerned about how easily measles can spread in the community, especially where medical access is a challenge.

"We are equipped to care for people with measles if it comes to it here in Thunder Bay, but what I actually worry about is spread to smaller, more remote communities," she said.

Young is especially concerned about communities where the infrastructure for regular vaccines has been affected by either "the COVID pandemic or systemic difficulties, and spreading in those more vulnerable communities where we know the vaccination rates are much lower, not for lack of trying or for lack of people wanting them, but just kind of compounding factors that have prevented them from getting regular vaccinations."

More exposure locations identified

On Tuesday the Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) sent out an alert, notifying people of more potential exposure locations, beyond their warning of the Thunder Bay airport on the night of May 4th.

TBDHU says members of the public may have been exposed to measles virus as follows:

Wednesday May 7, 2025

• Harbourview Family Health Team 10:40 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.

• LifeLabs Oliver Road. 11:15 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Thursday May 8, 2025

• Port Arthur Health Centre (including Shoppers Drug Mart) 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

• LifeLabs Port Arthur Health Centre 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

TBDHU says these are in addition to the exposure location reported publicly on Friday, May 9:

Sunday May 4, 2025

• Air Canada flight AC1195 – Toronto to Thunder Bay 9:40 p.m. – 11 p.m.

• Thunder Bay International Airport (YQT) terminal building 11 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.

TBDHU advises anyone who may have been exposed to the measles virus on the flight to follow these instructions:

Check your vaccination record to ensure you are protected from measles

People born before 1970 are considered immune, as measles was widely circulating at that time. In addition, these individuals may have received measles vaccine at some point.

Anyone born in 1970 or later should check their vaccination record to ensure they are protected from measles. They require two doses of a measles vaccine to be considered protected. Those unsure of their vaccination status are asked to contact their healthcare provider by phone or e-mail.

Monitor for symptoms until May 25

• Symptoms can include: fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, small spots with white centres that appear inside the mouth,  a red blotchy rash appears on the face then spreads down the body (normally appears 3 to 7 days after symptoms begin).

• Individuals should monitor for symptoms even if they are vaccinated against measles.

• If symptoms develop, individuals should seek medical care and testing and should largely stay home until the results are back. Call ahead to clinics so precautionary measures can be taken.