Number of measles cases in Ontario surpasses 1,000

Ontario has reported 95 new measles cases since last week, bringing the total number of infections since October to 1,020.

Many of the new cases continue to be concentrated in southwestern Ontario.

On Thursday, Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH) advised community members of another exposure location at Valley Heights Secondary School.

People who visited that location on April 15 from 6 – 10 p.m. may be at risk of infection.

Grand Erie Public Health is currently reporting 137 measles cases, with only two of those being new.

The health unit says that they are experiencing a backlog, meaning they are still catching up from those who needed the measles vaccine during the pandemic and didn’t get it.

Officials remain guarded in Grand Erie with cases nearing 140 in the region.

Four new exposure locations in Simcoe were reported Friday afternoon.

“Measles is not just a mild childhood illness,” said Dr. Adelle Chang On, acting Medical Officer of Health with the GEPH. “This is why public health is working to prevent the spread by making sure that we have as many people vaccinated around persons who can’t get vaccinated.”

Meanwhile, Niagara public health has reported 10 cases, with no new infections since the last report.

There has only been one known case of measles in Hamilton.

According to public health, three quarters of the cases across the province have been in infants, children and teens.

As the infection continues to spread through unvaccinated populations, Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia are also beginning to report cases.

“If there’s someone who can’t get the vaccine or unsure of their vaccination status, the best thing you can do is have all the healthy adults and older children around them get vaccinated and that’s going to create a cocoon around them to protect them,” said Janna Shapiro, PhD, a post doctoral fellow at the Centre of Vaccine Preventable Diseases at the University of Toronto.

Shapiro says the problems we are having with the current outbreak are because people are not getting vaccinated at all.

She said when it comes to high risk groups like the immunocompromised or infants, the best thing to do is for those around them to be vaccinated.

READ MORE: More than 100 new measles cases reported in Ontario as total reaches 925