Inuvik mother relieved 2nd measles vaccination available sooner for her infant

After hearing about the measles outbreak in Inuvik, Molly McLeod felt "pure fear."

Her 18-month-old son Dominic had his first shot, but the second shot isn't given to kids until they are typically four years old.

However, chief public health officer Dr. Kami Kandola said they are encouraging health authorities to give the second dose of the vaccination four weeks after the first, which is typically given to the child when they turn one.

"Having this vaccination be offered early to us is awesome because now I don't have to wait, watch and wonder," said McLeod.

On Wednesday evening, the Chief Public Health Officer declared a measles outbreak in Inuvik.

The first case of measles was confirmed at the end of February, and a second case was confirmed on Wednesday.

McLeod's son attends Children First, the daycare in town, which was just added to the health advisory of locations where people may have been exposed to the measles.

Although the daycare has a policy that children must have their vaccinations, they have kids that are not old enough for their first vaccination or their full immunization.

Working with health authority

"Our main concern is making sure those little ones that may have not had their vaccinations for the MMR [measles, mumps, rubella] to be as safe as possible," said Patricia Davison, the executive director of the Children First Society, which runs daycare.

"We've been working very closely with public health to make sure that all those children and their families are safe."

Davison said that on any given day they have 95 children in Children First, and they've had to talk to "less than two dozen" parents in regards to vaccination concerns.

Gene Jenks, the principal at East Three Secondary School, said although they have also been in contact with public health, he believes there is more concern with the younger children and the elderly about measles exposure.

The school is making sure to be as clean as possible, and they are even using paper plates during this time to be extra cautious.

The health advisory includes multiple possible times of exposure:

• Feb. 16, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Inuvik Regional Hospital, emergency department and x-ray department
• Feb. 17, 12 p.m.-3:30 p.m.: Inuvik Regional Hospital, emergency department
• Feb. 18, 10:30 a.m.-2: p.m.: Inuvik Regional Hospital, emergency department
• Feb. 19, 12:30 p.m.-4 p.m.: Inuvik Regional Hospital, laboratory, and cafeteria
• Feb. 25-28: 7:45 a.m.-7:15 p.m.: Children First Day Care