Two new travel-related cases of measles have been confirmed in British Columbia's Lower Mainland, bringing the recent tally to four, and leading to a call for people to confirm they have been fully vaccinated.
An advisory from Fraser Health says both infected people travelled in the same party from South Korea as another person whose measles infection was identified earlier this week, but are not connected to a case identified in February.
Officials have also expanded a list of locations where members of the public might have been exposed, including Vancouver's airport, a supermarket in Burnaby and a restaurant in Coquitlam.
Dr. Emily Newhouse, a medical health officer with the health authority, said in an interview Friday that people often assume they received both doses of the measles vaccine as children, but many have missed the important second dose.
"I think what does worry us is that we don't see measles vaccination rates as high as they need to be to prevent transmission fully. For measles, it's extremely infectious. So if you have a bunch of people who are unvaccinated and a case of measles walks in, the vast majority of them will become infected," she said.
Newhouse said in order for measles not to take hold and spread, 95 per cent of people need to have immunity, either because they have had measles before or they are vaccinated.
She said Fraser Health's rate of children who are two years old having received a first dose of the vaccine is not higher than 81 per cent, and while there are limitations to the data, such as if someone was vaccinated elsewhere, "we're confident that immunization rates are well short of where they need to be."
"Many adults are actually not fully up-to-date, and so, especially if you're travelling, check your vaccination status. If you're not sure, it's totally safe to receive another one," she said.
The health authority said in a statement that public and workplace health staff are following up directly with individuals who are known to have been exposed to the virus.
It said members of the public may have been exposed if they were on flight KE75 from Seoul to Vancouver on Feb. 17 or in the Vancouver International Airport on the same day from 3:20 p.m. to 6:20 p.m.
Exposure was also possible at the PriceSmart supermarket at 9899 Austin Rd. from 9 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. on Feb. 20 and 21, at Big Way Hot Pot restaurant in Coquitlam from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Feb. 28, and at the Royal Columbian Hospital emergency department from 2:30 p.m. on March 3 to 2:30 a.m. on March 4.
Newhouse said people who may have been exposed should watch for symptoms like fever, cough, red eyes or conjunctivitis, or a runny nose.
"The classic symptom is a rash that starts on the face and moves down," she said.
Measles is a highly infectious disease transmitted by airborne spread, but the statement says most people in Canada will be immune because of prior immunization or previous infection.
As of Thursday, Canada had recorded 227 measles cases this year with more cases reported in the first two months of 2025 than in all of 2024
A statement from Canada's chief public health officer said the majority of cases are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children who have been exposed in their communities, such as in social events, daycares, schools and health-care settings.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2025.
Ashley Joannou, The Canadian Press
