Measles in Quebec: Cases now confirmed in Eastern Townships and Lanaudière

The Eastern Townships confirmed its first measles cases as the spread of the virus continues in Quebec.

There are now 36 measles cases confirmed in Quebec with two new regions reporting cases.

The majority of the cases (28) have been reported in the Laurentians, but Montreal (five) and Laval (three) also had confirmed cases.

The spread has now reached Lanaudière and the Eastern Townships, with three cases detected in each region.

The Lanaudière cases are near du Marché Avenue at Route 335 in Saint-Lin, and the Eastern Townships cases were reported at Fleurimont Hospital.

Quebec public health says the key to limiting the spread of measles is vaccination.

Dr. Donald Vinh said that Quebec’s rates need to be around 95 per cent coverage to stop the virus’s spread. Quebec rates, he said, are not high enough.

“As a whole, Quebec rates are somewhere between 80 and 85 per cent, which is really not good enough and in some communities, rates can be as low as 30 to 50 per cent, which is lousy,” he said.

“With all these holes in vaccine coverage, that means that the virus can spread rapidly like a hot knife through butter.”

Quebec’s Health Ministry said that those who have been to any of the locations where measles have been detected during the dates on the Health Ministry’s site must isolate themselves if they have not been vaccinated.