Officers at Southwestern Public Well being are warning individuals who visited two healthcare settings at sure occasions within the final week that they could have been uncovered to measles.
The attainable exposures had been at St. Thomas Stroll-In Clinic on Feb. 7 between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and Feb. 9 between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., in addition to Aylmer LifeLabs on Feb. 10 between 10:30 a.m and 2:15 p.m.
The well being unit is asking anybody who was at these places, born in 1970 or later and never up-to-date with their vaccinations to name them at 1-800-922-0096 ext. 1232.
There have been 12 confirmed circumstances of measles reported to Southwestern Public Well being since Jan. 1, mentioned Dr. Ninh Tran, the unit’s Medical Officer of Well being.
“Instances are rising throughout the province and Canada as a complete,” Tran mentioned throughout a media briefing on Tuesday. “Everybody has a window now to guard themselves and their household from a preventable sickness.”
Tran is urging individuals to verify their very own and their household’s immunization historical past to make sure they’ve two doses of the measles vaccine.
He’s additionally recommending mother and father get their younger kids vaccinated sooner than common.
“As a result of we’re in an outbreak state of affairs, we’re additionally asking mother and father to take a look at defending their infants earlier,” he mentioned. “We’re encouraging our native mother and father to speak to their healthcare supplier about getting a primary dose of a measles-containing vaccine between the ages of six [months] and 11 months.”
Measles is a extremely contagious illness that may linger within the air for as much as two hours, the well being unit mentioned. Signs embody fever, cough, runny nostril, watery eyes and pink rash. Additional problems can embody diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia.
