Measles: 10 cases in Quebec
We now have 10 cases of measles in Quebec, and public health is encouraging vaccination. But the same people who refused the Covid vaccine are likely to ignore this one as well.
Adding: Public health even has a list of places where people may have been exposed.
jeather 16:08 on 2024-03-04 Permalink
I know someone who had no proof of vaccination as a kid, tried to get one, and had to have a big argument with the centre until they finally were given a booster (or first shot), so hope you get lucky about the nurse.
MarcG 17:15 on 2024-03-04 Permalink
A couple of fun facts:
> Measles complications are more likely in people with weakened immune systems
> There is evidence that Covid weakens the immune system
MarcG 17:18 on 2024-03-04 Permalink
Forgot:
> Measles is airborne like Covid and has been reported to survive in air for up to 2 hours, so a good respirator (N95) is your friend
Ian 19:21 on 2024-03-04 Permalink
Also remember that if you do get measles, you will ahve to get all your shots all over again because of immune amnesia, which last 2-3 years after a measles infection.
“One of the most unique—and most dangerous—features of measles pathogenesis is its ability to reset the immune systems of infected patients. During the acute phase of infection, measles induces immune suppression through a process called immune amnesia.”
https://asm.org/articles/2019/may/measles-and-immune-amnesia
walkerp 21:46 on 2024-03-04 Permalink
So should we be getting a booster shot?
Chris 08:39 on 2024-03-05 Permalink
walkerp, normally you get your booster in childhood. Check with your parents or vaccine booklet.
walkerp 08:51 on 2024-03-05 Permalink
I definitely got mine in childhood but that was 50+ years ago. It’s still good?
MarcG 10:19 on 2024-03-05 Permalink
The resources I looked at say that having 2 doses provides ~97% protection for life for most people. Herd immunity, which unlike Covid is possible with measles, would obviously help since not being exposed to it in the first place is 100% protection, but we don’t have in Canada.
Daisy 13:02 on 2024-03-05 Permalink
I had measles 10-15 years ago, as an adult. I was vaccinated as a child but only 1 dose. None of the doctors or Public Health suggested I should be revaccinated.
jeather 13:16 on 2024-03-05 Permalink
The reality is that the oldest people who were vaccinated are in their 50s and we do not do random titer sampling so we don’t know for sure if immunity is lifelong given that there is little circulating disease to remind our antibodies.
The cases are unrelated to each other and only 3 are travel related, which is bad news.
Walkerp, if you grew up in Quebec and your parents followed the standard government vaccine schedule:
born in the 60s or earlier: presumed immune because you got the disease
born in the 70s: you got one dose, as was the standard, and they sometimes will give you a second dose and sometimes say that the single dose is fine
born in the 80s: you got two doses
Ian 13:31 on 2024-03-05 Permalink
I was born in 1969, but gre up in Ontario. We actually got the MMR vaccine at school back then.
walkerp 20:58 on 2024-03-05 Permalink
Thanks, everyone! I think I’ve got it figured out. Quebec-Sante just published a list of places where there was a possible contagion.
Why do we always have the most diseases in Canada?
Kate 22:06 on 2024-03-05 Permalink
Thanks, walkerp. Scary list that includes the metro’s blue line and orange line. In other words, everywhere.
MarcG 09:39 on 2024-03-06 Permalink
Lisa Iannattone compares how measles was treated in 2019 vs today.