Measles Vaccination Rates in B.C. Alarmingly Low, Raising Outbreak Concerns

Health officials in British Columbia are raising alarms over declining measles vaccination rates, warning that some regions have coverage levels low enough to allow outbreaks.

The warning comes as measles cases surge in Ontario and the U.S.—with Ontario reporting 350 cases since late October and the first U.S. measles-related death since 2015 occurring in Texas last month.

B.C.'s Declining Vaccination Rates

In British Columbia, overall measles vaccination rates have been steadily dropping for over a decade. The most recent data from 2023 shows:

• Only 72% of B.C. seven-year-olds were fully vaccinated, well below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity.

• In some regions, such as the Okanagan and Kootenay-Boundary, less than two-thirds of children were fully vaccinated.

• The province has reported four travel-related measles cases this year, all linked to air travel to Southeast Asia.

Dr. Caroline Colijn, a mathematical modeling researcher at Simon Fraser University, warns that if measles is introduced into an under-vaccinated community, it could spread rapidly.

"If there's an exposure in a room, anyone who is not immunized will go home with measles," she explained. "And because symptoms don’t appear for 7-10 days, contact tracing becomes very difficult."

Public Health Experts Urge Action

Dr. Jia Hu, interim medical director for immunization programs at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), says B.C.’s vaccination data might slightly underestimate actual coverage, as some children may have moved to the province or are not yet in the registry.

However, he acknowledges that vaccine uptake is lower than public health targets, partly due to:

• COVID-19 disruptions, which delayed many children’s routine vaccinations.

• Growing vaccine hesitancy, worsened by misinformation during the pandemic.

"We've seen a rise in vaccine hesitancy after the pandemic," Hu said. "We need to work with community leaders to rebuild trust and improve vaccine access."

Why Measles Is a Serious Threat

While some may view measles as a mild childhood illness, health experts strongly disagree.

Dr. Colijn warns that measles can cause severe complications, including:

• Hospitalization in at least 10% of cases

• Brain swelling (encephalitis), which can cause permanent damage

• Immune system suppression, making children vulnerable to other infections

"We've already fought these battles with childhood diseases," she said. "We don’t want to rediscover how bad they are by experiencing outbreaks."

What Parents Can Do

Public health officials strongly encourage parents to check their children's vaccination records and ensure they are up to date on their two-dose measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, given at:

1. 12-15 months old (first dose)

2. 4-6 years old (second dose)

As measles cases rise in other provinces and across the U.S., B.C. health officials are urging communities to boost vaccination efforts now—before an outbreak occurs.