Recent outbreaks of measles and mumps across the country have public health officials calling for better awareness of vaccination.
Once thought to be a routine childhood illness, measles is now rare in Canada thanks to vaccination programs. That's why public health officials in Nova Scotia are looking closely at a recent outbreak of seven cases.
"If they were to walk into a room with 10 people who weren't vaccinated, nine of them would get measles," explains Trevor Arnason, Regional Medical Officer of the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
The seven recent cases in Nova Scotia are all related. They're young adults, most of whom have had at least one dose of the vaccine.
"Many people will still be susceptible to measles if they've only had one dose, and a few people who have the two doses will also be susceptible," says Arnason.
Small outbreaks aren't unheard of, although it's been around nine years since the measles was last reported in Nova Scotia.
"We're continuing to follow up with all of the contacts in those cases," says Arnason.
This outbreak coincides with outbreaks of mumps across the country. Several Vancouver Canucks players have been benched this week, same goes for the Medicine Hat Tigers in Alberta. There have also been clusters of cases in Edmonton and Toronto.
Public Health officials say the two diseases are not linked, except through the 'measles, mumps, rubella vaccine', which requires two booster shots.
They're urging people to get up to date, but the problem is not everyone knows whether they are.
"I imagine my school might have a record of it? I think that's the last place I got it, but I'm not 100% sure," says Ryan Dobbin.
"I don't remember the last time I ws vaccinated against measles. I think when I was in elementary school, maybe?" adds Anna Douglas.
People are encouraged to check their records through public health. Anyone born after 1970 is eligible for a free second dose of MMR in Nova Scotia.
Compounding the problem, different provinces have different immunization policies, and none of them have a centralized registry, meaning patients may have trouble tracking the information down.
"It can be difficult in outbreak situations to determine everyone's immunization history," says Arnason.
New Brunswick officials say an immunization registry is currently under discussion.
In Nova Scotia, a registry was promised as part of the public health information system that was announced in 2014, but was delayed.
The Nova Scotia Health Authority is planning to make an announcement about that public health information system in the next few days, but the department did not say whether it will include an immunization registry.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Sarah Ritchie.
