Province’s deputy health officer encourages vaccinations as kids return to school amid measles outbreak

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The deputy health officer for B.C. is encouraging parents to add updating vaccinations to their children’s back-to-school checklists amid a spike in measles cases in northern B.C.. 

In an August 20th press release, B.C’s deputy health officer, Dr. Martin Lavoie, explained vaccinations are an essential step in ensuring the health of a child in a school environment. 

“Children will soon start to gather in schools or childcare spaces and they will interact with more people from outside of their households – this means they will be more exposed to various infectious diseases,” Dr. Lavoie said. 

Specifically, the doctor recommends checking routine vaccinations, as well as measles, mumps and rubella, polio, pertussis – or whooping cough – and chickenpox. 

“Getting your children vaccinated is the best way to protect them from vaccine-preventable illnesses that can cause serious illness, long-term disability and even death.”

According to Dr. Lavoie, children under the age of 18 are eligible for publicly-funded vaccination for a variety of diseases including influenza, polio, measles, chickenpox and Covid-19. 

On August 19th, Northern Health announced a new potential measles exposure at the Fort St. John Hospital’s emergency department that occurred on August 18th.  

As of the B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s August 18th update, Northern Health has reported 142 cases of measles in 2025 and the province has reported a total of 197 confirmed cases and 17 probable cases. 

That means as of August 20th, Northern Health has reported approximately 72 per cent of the province’s confirmed measles cases, and all but one of the province’s probable cases.

Symptoms include fever; cough; runny nose; red, inflamed eyes that are light-sensitive; and a rash which typically appears on the face and neck before spreading to the chest, arms and legs.

Anyone who suspects they may have been exposed to measles or are experiencing symptoms of measles is encouraged to stay at home and contact their primary care provider or the Northern Health Virtual Clinic to get tested.