The measles outbreak that began in a Christian elementary school in Chilliwack, B.C., has spread into the general population, Fraser Health officials say.
So far, one child has been admitted to hospital, Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Paul Van Buynder said in a statement on Thursday. Dozens of cases have also been reported in the general population.
“We are noticing now that there is spread beyond the original school and the original religious community,” Van Buynder told CTV Vancouver.
The health district is now scrambling to increase the distribution of measles vaccines to doctors and pharmacies in the Fraser East region, including Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs and Hope.
Van Buynder is asking that people with symptoms isolate themselves at home, and that children under the age of five, who are most at risk of serious disease, be vaccinated right away.
Special vaccination clinics in Chilliwack and Agassiz are being arranged for next week, and their location and availability will be posted on the Fraser Health website.
“It is not necessary to attend a medical centre for testing to confirm measles during an outbreak unless you are quite sick,” Van Buynder said in the statement.
However, Van Buynder is asking, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, that people who are seriously ill contact their doctor prior to arriving for their appointment.
The first two confirmed cases of measles involved two children from Mount Cheam Christian School in Chilliwack, a community with traditionally low immunization rates.
With files from CTV Vancouver
