British Columbia's premier, David Eby, attributes the recent surge in measles cases in the province to the 'recklessness' of politicians questioning vaccine safety. Measles, previously eliminated in Canada, is spreading locally, with cases detected in Chilliwack and Kamloops, and potential exposures on a BC Ferries vessel. Vaccination rates in B.C. have significantly declined, prompting health officials to urge the public to check their immunization records.
B.C. premier pins measles surge on anti-vaccine ‘recklessness’
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️British Columbia's premier, David Eby, attributes the recent surge in measles cases in the province to the 'recklessness' of politicians questioning vaccine safety. Measles, previously eliminated in Canada, is spreading locally, with cases detected in Chilliwack and Kamloops, and potential exposures on a BC Ferries vessel. Vaccination rates in B.C. have significantly declined, prompting health officials to urge the public to check their immunization records.
Trending- 1 2013: British Columbia's vaccination rate was 90.9%.
- 2 2023: British Columbia's vaccination rate dropped to 72% among seven-year-olds.
- 3 Months ago: Measles began surging in parts of Canada, particularly Alberta and Ontario.
- 4 Earlier this year: A baby died from measles in Ontario.
- 5 June 19: The province documented 17 new cases in the Northern, Fraser and Interior health regions.
- 6 June 20: Potential exposure sites included multiple sailings aboard a BC Ferries vessel.
- 7 This week: Fraser Health announced three locally-contracted cases in Chilliwack; Interior Health detected one case in Kamloops.
- 8 Wednesday: Premier David Eby made a statement blaming the surge on anti-vaccine 'recklessness'.
- Surge in measles cases in B.C.
- Public health warnings issued
- Health officials urging the public to check vaccination records and get immunized
- Potential for severe illness, pneumonia, brain swelling, seizures, long-term brain damage, and death from measles
What: British Columbia's premier blames a surge in measles cases on political leaders who have questioned vaccine safety.
When: Wednesday (David Eby's statement), June 20 (BC Ferries exposure), since June 19 (17 new cases in BC), 2013-2023 (vaccination rate decline), earlier this year (baby died in Ontario).
Where: British Columbia (Chilliwack, Kamloops, Northern, Fraser, and Interior health regions), Canada (Alberta, Ontario).
Why: Declining vaccination rates (from 90.9% in 2013 to 72% in 2023 among seven-year-olds) due to the 'recklessness' of politicians questioning vaccine safety.
How: Premier David Eby made a public statement. Health officials (Fraser Health, Interior Health) announced cases and exposure sites. Medical experts (Dr. Wehnzhen Zuo, Dr. Brian Conway) explained the disease and urged vaccination.