Prime Highlights:
Vancouver Coastal Health confirms a second measles case in the Lower Mainland, linked to international travel in Southeast Asia.
Unvaccinated individuals, particularly infants, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems, urged to contact local public health.
Highly contagious, can cause severe complications like encephalitis, seizures, and death in rare cases.
Key Background:
In February, Vancouver Coastal Health confirmed a second case of measles in B.C.’s Lower Mainland. The individual affected had recently traveled to Southeast Asia, joining the same travel party as the first confirmed case of measles identified over the weekend. While the initial case was located within the Fraser Health region, the second individual resides in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
Health authorities have issued a warning, advising that members of the public may have been exposed to measles if they were aboard Air Canada Flight 66, arriving in Vancouver on February 11, or if they were present in the international arrivals area of Vancouver International Airport (YVR), including customs or baggage claim, between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on the same day. However, Vancouver Coastal Health confirmed that no additional public exposures have been identified, and close contacts are being individually monitored.
Measles, a highly contagious viral infection, is transmitted through airborne particles and can result in severe complications, including encephalitis, which may cause brain inflammation, seizures, deafness, or permanent brain damage. In rare cases, measles can be fatal, with an estimated mortality rate of 1 in 3,000 cases, as reported by Vancouver Coastal Health.
To prevent the spread of the disease, the health authority recommends that individuals who have been exposed and are unvaccinated, especially infants under 12 months, pregnant women, and individuals with compromised immune systems, seek immediate guidance from local public health services or Vancouver Coastal Health’s Communicable Disease department at 604-675-3900. Currently, no other local cases have been reported in B.C., but health officials have noted a rise in measles activity in other parts of Canada, the U.S., and globally. Unimmunized individuals remain at a heightened risk.
