A passenger ill with measles was aboard the following flights and at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR):
June 24: Philippine Airlines flight PR 116 departing from Manila International airport (MNL) at 19:00 and arriving at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) at 17:15.*
June 24: WestJet flight WJ 458 departing from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) at 19:00 and arriving at Manitoba's James A. Richardson International Airport (YWG) at midnight on June 25.*
*All times are local.
Passengers on the above two flights or at the YVR location including in the international arrivals area, customs and immigration, and baggage check at the times between the arrival and departure times listed above may have been exposed to measles.
Public health officials in Manitoba have issued an alert to Canadian public health officials through the Canadian Network for Public Health Intelligence and issued a
public health alert on June 28.
Measles is a highly infectious disease transmitted by airborne spread. Passengers, crew and travelers who may have come into contact with this case of measles are asked to be aware of this potential exposure should they develop symptoms compatible with measles. Most travelers will be immune to measles due to prior immunization, with older travelers immune from having had measles as a child. Those most likely to develop measles after exposure are infants less than one year old who have not been vaccinated, or others who have never been immunized against measles.
If you become ill and suspect you may have measles from this or another exposure such as traveling overseas to the many parts of the world where measles occurs frequently, call your doctor and inform them that you may have measles, so that they can arrange to see you in a manner that avoids infecting others in the waiting room.
You can also call your local health unit and ask for the communicable disease nurse.
To find a public health unit anywhere in the province, use the locator on ImmunizeBC.ca.
Symptoms of measles include:
- Fever
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Red eyes
- Rash that starts centrally including on the face, spreads to the limbs and lasts at least three days
Non-immune exposed individuals can become infected by being in the same airspace as a measles case. If infected, they will develop symptoms within 7 to 21 days of being exposed. If a traveler has been infected with measles from this event, symptoms could develop as early as July 1 and as late as July 15.
Individuals most at risk from measles are those who are completely unvaccinated against the disease including babies under one year of age. Individuals born after 1970 should have received two doses of a measles vaccine (often given as combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, or MMR) to be protected. Those who were born prior to 1970 are likely to be immune due to prior measles infection.
The BCCDC advises British Columbians to review their immunization status prior to travel. Measles has been on the rise for several years worldwide including several countries in Europe and Southeast Asia, which are common travel destinations for British Columbians. The best time to protect yourself is before you travel.
More information:
