BC Ferries, Denny’s and Walmart: Measles exposures reported across B.C. as cases climb

A Walmart, a Denny’s and four BC Ferries sailings have been listed as among the places where people may have recently been exposed to measles, as cases climb.

The number of confirmed cases of measles in B.C. has grown substantially since last week, and health officials are reporting public exposure incidents across the province.

B.C. has now seen 49 confirmed cases of the highly infectious disease so far this year, up from 32 when the B.C. Centre for Disease Control last updated its count on June 19.

• Read more: B.C. health officials bracing for surge in measles cases as school year ends

Only 12 of those cases are considered currently active, according to the BCCDC.

“Please note that the number of active measles cases does not necessarily reflect risk in the community as there may be people with undiagnosed measles,” the agency says on its website.

To that end, BCCDC and regional health authorities published several warnings on Tuesday advising people that they may have been exposed to measles at certain times and locations – including on several recent BC Ferries sailings.

The exposure incidents announced Tuesday were:

June 16

• Mark’s at 45737 Luckakuck Way, Chilliwack from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Redwing Shoe Store at 8249 Eagle Landing Pkwy., Chilliwack from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Walmart at 8249 Eagle Landing Pkwy., Chilliwack from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Denny’s Restaurant at 570 Columbia St., Kamloops from noon to 2:45 p.m.
• Aberdeen Mall at 1320 Trans-Canada Hwy., Kamloops from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Earls Restaurant at 1210 Summit Dr., Kamloops from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• Shoppers Drug Mart at 1210 Summit Dr., Kamloops from 9:30 a.m. to 11:35 a.m.

June 18

• Ahmad Barber Shop at 7325 Vedder Rd., number 100, Chilliwack from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• Castles and Cottages at 347 Victoria St., Kamloops from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

June 20

• Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Coastal Celebration ferry noon sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay
• Coastal Celebration ferry 2 p.m. sailing from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen
• Coastal Celebration ferry 6 p.m. sailing from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen
• Coastal Celebration ferry 8 p.m. sailing from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay
• Hot and Cold Café at 1-313 Cook St., Victoria from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Marriott Civic Autograph Hotel at 13475 Central Ave., Surrey from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

June 21

• Marriott Civic Autograph Hotel at 13475 Central Ave., Surrey from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Most people in Canada are immune to measles due to immunization or previous infection. However, the prevalence of the disease has been increasing in recent years as vaccination rates have dropped.

In B.C., the vaccination rate among seven-year-olds was 72.4 per cent in 2023, the latest year for which data is available. That’s down from a rate of 90.9 per cent a decade earlier.

Alberta and Ontario have been dealing with large outbreaks this year, with 1,050 cases confirmed in the former and 2,188 reported in the latter as of those provinces’ most recent updates.

B.C. has seen a relatively lighter caseload, but the B.C. Centre for Disease Control notes that in the Northern Health region – where the majority of confirmed cases are located – the total is undercounted.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 33 confirmed cases in the north, according to the BCCDC.

“This number only captures a subset of the actual cases as some communities have a large disease burden, and not everyone is presenting to Northern Health for diagnosis and health care support,” the agency’s website reads.

The BCCDC urged anyone who may have been exposed to measles and is immunocompromised, unvaccinated or unsure of their immunization status, or has a child under one year old who was exposed to contact their local public health unit.

Contact information for public health teams in each health authority can be found on the BCCDC website.

“Individuals exposed to the measles virus should monitor for symptoms that may develop up to three weeks after being exposed,” the agency said. “If you were exposed between June 16 and 21, you could develop symptoms up to July 12.”

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Andrew Weichel