"Since publicly funded vaccine programs only began in the early 1970s, most adults born before 1970 are presumed to have acquired immunity from past exposure to the measles virus," said Department of Health spokesperson Sean Hatchard.
"Given the current global and national measles situation, it is certainly possible for New Brunswick to see cases of measles here at home," said Hatchard. "Therefore, the largest risk of measles exposure is with international travellers who may be visiting countries where measles is circulating." As of Dec. 31, about 85 per cent of seven-year-olds in the province have had at least two doses of the MMRV or MMR vaccines, said department spokesperson Katelin Dean. This data is for all seven-year-olds — not just those attending public schools, she said.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure to the virus for symptoms to appear, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, and people who are infected can spread the virus to others before they develop symptoms.A flyer educating people about measles is displayed on a bulletin board in California, one of the U.S. states where there are currently measles cases.
Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: CBCAlerts - 🏆 37. / 63 Read more »