Canada’s top health official is expressing concern about the rise in measles outbreaks in the country, with a growing number of cases cropping up in Ontario and Quebec.
International travel was the initial source of the outbreaks, but all the recent measles infections resulted from exposure to the virus in Canada, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam said in a Jan. 29 statement.
“Measles can spread very quickly—90 percent of people who are not vaccinated or haven’t had measles before can become infected if they are near someone with the disease,” Tam said.
Most of the recent infections reported in Canada involved unvaccinated individuals, Tam said, noting that a considerable number of cases involve children and infants under the age of one….