Measles exposure alert issued for Edmonton Stollery

People who were at the Stollery’s x-ray department and waiting room between 5:30 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. Saturday may have been exposed to measles.

A measles alert has been issued for several areas in the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

An alert from the Alberta government said the exposures occurred on Saturday, at the Stollery waiting area, emergency department, M-Pod and X-Ray Department between about 4:15 p.m. to 10:15 p.m.

Anyone who attended any of these locations at the specified times, who was born in or after 1970 and has less than two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine, may be at risk of developing measles.

Anyone who was exposed to measles and does not have the measles vaccine can receive immunization to reduce the risk of infection within 72 hours.

Babies under one, people with severely weakened immune systems and those who are pregnant may be able to receive immunoglobulin within six days of exposure to prevent infection.

Measles vaccines are offered free of charge through Alberta’s immunization program. The vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection and is recommended in two doses, the first at one year of age and the second at 18 months.

Symptoms of measles include a fever of 38.3 C or higher, cough, runny nose and or/red eyes as well as a rash that appears three to seven days after a fever starts. The rash usually begins behind the ears and on the face, spreading down to the body to the arms and legs. The rash appears red and blotchy on lighter skin colours and can look purple on darker skin colours.