With an increase in measles, whooping cough, and other preventable diseases around the world the province says they are promoting this year’s National Immunization Awareness Week.
According to the federal government’s website, so far Canada has 50 active cases of measles and estimates a total of 60 cases have been reported so far this year.
The government also estimates there is one case of rubella syndrome has been diagnosed in across Canada.
Health minister Adrian Dix says this annual event helps people get the proper immunizations they need to lower the risk to themselves and reduce the impact on hospitals across the province.
“Immunization plays a vital role in maintaining public health by reducing the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases,” Dix says. “It lowers the number of cases, hospitalizations, and fatalities associated with these diseases, thereby improving the quality of life.”
The province says measles is highly contagious and everyone who has not got their shots should consider consulting their medical practitioner, especially babies and children.
Dix says this is why the government has implemented a program to offer, and extend, protection for those who need it, crediting medical professionals for their hard work.
“I want to thank the healthcare professionals who provide information to their patients about the benefits of immunizations, administer vaccines, and help people keep safe from the spread of diseases,” Dix says.
The province says measles is quickly spread in schools, and children who are not immunized or fully immunized are offered a vaccine or excluded from school.
The World Health Organization reported a 79 per cent increase in measles cases last year, compared to 2022.
The last case of measles in BC was reported in 2019.
