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The Saskatchewan Health Authority is warning travellers about a measles exposure risk on a flight from Vancouver to Regina earlier this month.
The flight – Air Canada AC 8196 – departed the Vancouver airport on March 9 at 8:54 p.m. and landed in Regina at 11:50 p.m.
Read more:
- Six locations in Regina listed as risk for measles exposure
- Measles cases confirmed in Saskatoon
- Measles exposure risk in Carlyle, Arcola and Wawota
“If you were on the listed flight or at the Regina airport at the stated times, please monitor for measles symptoms for up to 21 days after possible exposure,” the health authority said in a statement.
Anyone who was exposed and is not vaccinated against measles was advised to contact the 811 Health Line. Anyone who is unsure of their vaccination status or develops measles symptoms was also advised to call the hotline.
Signs and symptoms of measles include fever, cough, runny, red eyes, fatigue, irritability, small white spots inside the mouth and throat, and a red blotchy rash which develops on the face and spreads down the body several days after other symptoms begin.
“Measles is highly contagious. It can spread very easily to others through the air,” the health authority explained.
“The virus can live up to two hours in the air or on surfaces in a space where a person coughed or sneezed. It can spread from four days before a rash appears until four days after a rash develops. Through this period, a person needs to stay in strict isolation to avoid spreading the infection to others.”
Anyone in medical distress was advised to seek care immediately, but the health authority asked those individuals to call before attending an emergency room, “so proper precautions can be put in place to minimize spread.”
The vaccines against measles are nearly 100 per cent effective, the health authority noted, and are free for residents of the province.
“Please review your immunizations in your MySaskHealthRecord, if you were immunized in Saskatchewan, or discuss with your health practitioner to ensure that you and your family’s immunizations are up to date,” the health authority advised.
