Measles in Vancouver
You may have heard in the media that MEASLES in Vancouver is much more common than it used to be. Children and adults have been affected. Measles is not a trivial illness and may lead to serious complications. The Vancouver Coastal Health Department recommends that all susceptible people be vaccinated.
Who is susceptible?
Anybody under the age of 54 who has not had measles and has not had 2 (two) measles vaccinations (MMR) in their lifetimes. In other words:
- If you are 54 or older - you do NOT need the vaccine (because you were almost certainly exposed to measles in childhood)
- If you know for sure that you have had measles - you do NOT need the vaccine
- If you know for sure that you have received 2 doses of MMR - you do NOT need the vaccine (if you are under 20 years old, you probably DID receive 2 doses - either both in infancy or one in infancy and one in school)
All others should consider getting vaccinated now. There is no harm in getting an extra dose if you are not sure.
If you are interested, call Rosana and tell her that your appointment is for a VACCINATION. (This appointment will be for the vaccination only and we will not be able to address other concerns during that visit. If you are already coming to see me soon for another reason, please make a SEPARATE appointment for the vaccination)