On the eve of the school break, Montreal’s regional public health director, Dr.D Mylène Drouin sent an electronic message to parents of students on Friday to invite them to exercise caution. Two cases of measles have been detected in Montreal, including one in a school.
The doctor encourages families to get vaccinated if they are not already. She points out that in the event of an outbreak in a childcare or school environment, “all unprotected people” will have to isolate at home for a period which could last “several weeks”.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) also launched a call for vigilance on Thursday.
“In a context where international travel is frequent and where the population is not protected at the 95% threshold necessary to guarantee collective immunity against measles, more travelers are at risk of importing the disease into Quebec, said -he wrote in a press release. This increases the risk of local transmission. » According to the MSSS, “a few cases” have been confirmed in recent weeks.
In his missive, the DD Drouin recalls that measles is “very contagious” and can be “serious, especially for young children, pregnant women and people with a weak immune system.” This disease can lead to ear infections, pneumonia, loss of vision or hearing, brain infection and even death. There is no treatment for measles.
Remember that this disease manifests itself by fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis as well as pimples or redness on the skin. The virus is caught by breathing the same air as an infected person, even over a distance of more than 2 meters (6 feet).
It can survive for a few hours suspended in the air and disperse. “If an unprotected person is in contact with a sick person, the risk of catching measles is 9 out of 10,” indicates Public Health.
The best way to protect yourself against the disease is to get vaccinated, says Public Health. Two doses of vaccine “provide 95% protection,” she specifies.
The DD Drouin “strongly recommends that people who are not protected get vaccinated as quickly as possible”.