As the number of measles cases in Quebec increases, public health authorities are urging Quebecers to check their vaccination status and protect themselves and their children from the highly contagious virus.

According to Quebec’s public health director, Dr. Luc Boileau, there have been 10 confirmed cases of measles in the province, seven of them in Montreal. Some of these cases are linked to international travel, but others may have been acquired locally through community transmission.

“This is what concerns us,” Boileau said at a press conference on Monday, along with Montreal’s public health director, Dr. Mylène Drouin, and a pediatric infectious diseases expert, Dr. Caroline Quach-Thanh.

“Measles is more infectious than COVID. Most people who are exposed to measles and are not immunized will get infected,” he said.

Boileau said that Montreal has a lower immunization rate than other regions and that the vaccination coverage across the province varies widely. He also said that the global resurgence of measles cases, due to “vaccination fatigue” and other factors, is contributing to the spread of the virus in Canada.

“We want to emphasize the importance of vaccination. It’s free, safe, effective and fast-acting,” he said. “We are not in the same situation as with COVID, where we had to implement drastic public health measures, but there is a real risk.”

Drouin said that the last reported case of measles in Quebec was in 2019.

“It may not seem like a lot, but it’s a disease we are trying to eliminate,” she said.

The measles vaccine is part of Quebec’s immunization program. The Health Ministry’s objective is to achieve a 95 per cent immunization rate in every region.

Drouin said that the immunization rate in Montreal schools is around 80 per cent. She said that Montreal public health is reaching out to schools with low rates to encourage parents to vaccinate their children, and in some cases, contacting families directly.

The vaccine against measles requires two doses and is more than 95 per cent effective at preventing infection, according to Montreal Public Health. Measles is a very contagious disease. The virus can survive and infect others for up to two hours in a room after an infected person has left, and it has a long incubation period – usually between 10 and 14 days. Its symptoms include fever, cough and a red, blotchy rash.

Measles can cause serious complications, such as ear infections and diarrhea. In rare cases, it can be fatal. It can also have severe consequences for young infants, unvaccinated pregnant people and people with weakened immune systems.

How to protect yourself from measles Boileau said that the infectious period for measles starts four days before the rash appears and ends four days after, which means that the virus can spread easily.

He advised anyone with severe symptoms to call Quebec’s 811 Info-Santé line or go to a hospital or a clinic, wearing a mask and alerting the staff as soon as they arrive that they may have measles.

He said that vaccination appointments can be booked online through Clic-Santé or by calling 1-877-644-4545.