Since a possible measles exposure in the Sea to Sky, at least 255 people in Squamish have been immunized — an increase of more than 500 per cent from the 42-person vaccination rate recorded in February 2018.
"I think we saw the community response following the reports of the outbreak in Vancouver, and we saw a lot of interest in getting up to date on their MMR, their measles vaccination," Dr. Geoff McKee, the VCH medical health officer for Squamish, said.
"From public health's response, we tried to get increased accessibility of the vaccine both to those who may have been involved in the potential exposure in the Sea to Sky Corridor, but also just as a chance for folks to get updated on their measles vaccine coverage," he said.
While the minimum of 255 people only include those who received the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine from the public health authority, VCH also delivers doses of the vaccine to pharmacies in Squamish. In an entire year, VCH typically delivers 80 doses of MMR to Squamish pharmacies.
Since the health authority's announcement of a possible Sea to Sky exposure on Feb. 22 alone, 350 doses have been delivered.
"There's probably some pharmacies [that] wanted to be proactive to be able to meet the demand, but I think it does show there was that increased interest in getting vaccinated," McKee said.
McKee called this increase substantial, and said it helps herd immunity in Squamish. With the measles, herd immunity exists at 95 per cent.
From April through June, the provincial government is launching a catch-up measles immunization program, purchasing $3 million worth of vaccine doses to make sure children are up to date.
“Our goal is to immunize as many people as possible before the end of the school year. The purpose, ultimately, is to reach an immunization rate of 95 per cent as recommended,” Adrian Dix, the Minister of Health, said in a press release.
"I think right now we're below that, but whatever we can do to improve coverage, we can start working toward that level of coverage necessary for herd immunity," McKee said. "To be able to create those protective barriers in our community to protect those individuals who can't get vaccinated and who can't have that type of production or who may just be more susceptible. Those include young children who are too young to receive the vaccine, people with medical issues who can't be vaccinated and other folks who may have underlying conditions that make them more susceptible to this disease."
The catch-up program is the first step of a two-phase plan, which will see mandatory vaccination reporting in B.C. schools as early as fall 2019.
The 21-day window to watch for symptoms since the possible exposure of measles passed on March 11.
There have been no reported cases of the measles in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
People seeking more information about vaccinations can connect with the public health unit, their local pharmacies and online at vch.ca. McKee said he also recommends healthlinkbc.ca and immunizbc.ca. Healthcare providers such as general practitioners can also provide information and help patients determine if their immunizations are up to date.
"We know that vaccines are a safe and effective tool for preventing many diseases," McKee said. "Hopefully, we can continue to improve our coverage and protect those who are most vulnerable in our communities."
