Alberta Health reported three new cases of the measles within the province, one of which is in Calgary. Read More
Pharmacists and experts say the first thing to do is to check your immunization records.
Pharmacists and experts say the first thing to do is to check your immunization records.
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Alberta Health reported three new cases of the measles within the province, one of which is in Calgary.
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The remaining two were found in central Alberta, bringing the total number of cases in the province up to 77, an increase of about 53 cases in the past two weeks alone.
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Public alerts sent out by Alberta Health have strongly urged Albertans to check if they have the measles vaccine or to book an appointment to receive the dose. And Albertans are heeding the call, according to local pharmacists, who say they have seen an uptick in appointments booked to get the dose.
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The top question on most Albertans’ mind, according to pharmacists, has been how to find out if they’ve received the vaccine or not.
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Randy Howden, who owns Crowfoot Medicine Shoppe and Compounding Centre said many people who have come in to get a shot are often already vaccinated. “But we are answering a lot of questions and helping assess a lot of people and help them understand what the risk is,” he said.
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Here’s what you need to know about finding your vaccination records and determining if you’re eligible for the vaccine.
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What is the measles vaccine?
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It’s more commonly known as the MMR vaccine, which stands for measles, mumps and rubella. It’s a combination vaccine, which combines weakened forms of the measles, mumps and rubella viruses. By injecting a weakened version of the viruses into the body, the vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce an immune response, a combination of antibodies and memory cells that can recognize and fight off the real virus, if and when encountered in the future.
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A recommended part of a child’s routine immunization schedule, doctors will often give two doses to children aged one and older, with the first dose given at 12 to 15 months of age and the second at 18 months of age or anytime after.
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Adults who haven’t been immunized as children can also be given the vaccine and require no more than two doses to be considered fully immunized.
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Generally, someone who is fully immunized won’t need a booster, according to Dr. Lorne Tyrrell, director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology at the University of Alberta, apart from the rare exceptional situation.
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But an additional booster, while unnecessary, isn’t harmful and can be given, if required and/or if you aren’t sure if you’re fully immunized, he added.
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Why don’t I need the vaccine if I was born before 1970?
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Prior to 1970, there were no routine vaccination programs introduced in Canada for the measles, making the virus especially common to catch and rampant in communities across the country.