Public-health nurse Lauri Bidinot demonstrates how to give a measles shot to a young girl at Southwestern Public Health in St. Thomas, Ont., on March 4.Geoff Robins/The Canadian Press
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Since last October, Canada has experienced a multijurisdictional measles outbreak. And while cases have slowed down in places such as Quebec, where the province recently declared an end to its outbreak, others haven’t been so lucky.
As of April 24, Ontario’s ballooning measles outbreak surpassed 1,000 cases. The province has 10 times more cases than it experienced during the entire decade of 2013-23. Meanwhile, Alberta confirmed 137 cases.
Measles is among the world’s most contagious infectious diseases, capable of spreading when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. For people who lack immunity – obtained either through vaccination or prior infection – at least 90 per cent of those exposed will become infected.
Measles is re-emerging in Ontario. Here’s what you need to know to protect you and your family
Globe health reporters Kristy Kirkup and Alanna Smith, and health editor Caroline Alphonso, answered reader questions on Canada’s measles outbreaks on Friday, May 2 at 1 p.m. ET.
Are there any signs that cases are slowing down? How is it spreading? What can you do as a parent to keep your child safe? Why is measles so dangerous? Scroll to the comments section at the bottom of this article to view the responses.
Globe and Mail subscribers could ask questions or leave a comment, but registered non-subscribers can still view the questions and answers.