The Ontario health ministry has warned on Monday that at least 1,300 teenagers and kids were probably exposed to measles at a two-day Christian youth concert in Toronto, Ontario earlier this month. Currently, Ontario has confirmed that measles cases are continuously rising.
The event organizers said that at least 1,300 people were present in the event which was described in their website as 'the weekend that changes your teen's life forever'. Health officials confirmed that participants and performers came from all over Ontario.
According to the province's acting chief medical officer, Dr. Robin Williams, they have asked people who were present at the 'Acquire the Fire' event at the Queensway Cathedral last February 6 and 7 to verify their immunization records especially those who were born after 1970. This is due to several reports that parents are opting their children out of immunization because of stirring controversy regarding their efficacy and health effects.
The source of the measles outbreak in the United States and Canada can be traced to children who did not receive the immunization. Thus, mass immunizations were conducted in an effort to battle and curb the outbreak.
According to the National Post, the public advisory was launched after health officials discovered that a measles patient had attended the said event and potentially risking at least 1,000 other participants.
Dr. Williams added, "It's the largest exposure we know of at this point in the outbreak." However, she reiterated that this cannot be considered a public emergency because she is certain that around 98% of teens in Ontario have been immunized with at least two doses of the measles vaccine.
The warning came as four new cases of measles were reported in Toronto and the Niagara region. However, those were not linked to the youth gathering. Yet, they have issued a health warning to those who attended that if ever they experience the typical symptoms of measles such as runny nose, cough, red eyes and red rashes, they should call their physician or health practitioners at once.
Measles, according to the World Health Organization, is a highly-contagious viral disease which is the leading cause of death in children globally even if there are available vaccines worldwide. In fact, in 2013, there were 145,700 measles deaths globally - about 400 deaths every day or 16 deaths every hour.
