Sudburians urged to check measles vacination record
Some people from Sudbury may have been exposed at a youth gathering in Toronto
The Sudbury and District Health Unit wants people to check their vaccination records after some young people from the city may have been exposed to measles at a Toronto gathering.
The event — called Acquire the Fire — was held at the Queensway Cathedral in Toronto on Feb. 6 and 7 and was attended by more than 1,300 youth from all over Ontario. Many of those who attended spent a number of hours together in a single large room.
The event did sell some tickets in Sudbury and there is concern some people from the city may have been exposed, said Lisa Schell with the Sudbury and District Health Unit.
"When someone coughs, talks or sneezes, those particles are spread through the air and can remain in the air for up to two hours after a person has left an area," Schell said.
The health unit is calling on people in Sudbury to check to see if they have a yellow vaccination card that is stamped "M-L-R" for the measles and rubella vaccines.
Anyone who doesn't have the card should call the health unit, Schell said.
"[We are] always available to answer questions and check immunization records for individuals who may be questioning whether they're protected or not," she said. "
Anyone born before 1970 is assumed to have had the measles and doesn't necessarily need the vaccine, Schell added.
So far, there have been no confirmed cases of measles in the Sudbury area in 2015.
However, over the weekend, two adults were confirmed as the eighth and ninth measles cases in the Greater Toronto Area, and there were five lab-confirmed cases of measles in the Niagara Region, according to the website for Niagara Region Public Health.