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Health officials in Elgin and Oxford counties are urging parents to keep their kids’ vaccinations up-to-date after a local measles case and cluster of mumps cases.
Southwestern Public Health, the health unit in Elgin and Oxford counties, issued a public advisory Wednesday promoting childhood vaccination as it identifies contacts of the recent cases, saying both vaccine hesitancy and travel have increased the circulation of the two diseases in the community.
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“Measles and mumps are both very contagious and can easily spread to others before symptoms are visible,” acting medical officer of health Dr. Joyce Lock said in a statement.
“We urge parents with children awaiting their second measles and mumps-containing vaccine to get that second dose – the measles, mumps, rubella, varicella dose – as soon as a child turns four to complete their immunization. Don’t delay it.”
The details of the measles case, such as the age of the individual and whether it was travel-related, were not released by the health unit Wednesday. The size of the cluster of mumps cases in the region was not released.
The health unit has not disclosed the communities in Elgin or Oxford counties that have reported measles or mumps cases.
“The best protection here is prevention,” Lock said, adding the “vaccines are safe and effective, and that second dose provides protection against these contagious diseases.”
Measles is spread through the air and can cause complications including pneumonia, ear infections, brain infections and, in rare cases, death. People who have had a measles-containing vaccine, have been previously infected, or who were born before 1970 are generally protected from infection.
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