Health officials say people on a second flight from Beijing to Vancouver Saturday may have been exposed to measles after a passenger was diagnosed with the disease.
The warning affects passengers who traveled on Air Canada flight AC 6601 and landed at Vancouver airport at 12:15 p.m. Saturday, April 4.
Vancouver Coastal Health is asking those passengers to make sure they’re up to date on their measles vaccinations.
Anyone who experiences symptoms of the highly infectious disease, including fever, cough, runny nose, pink eye and a red rash are urged to see a doctor and call in advance, so other patients aren’t infected.
“For those who aren’t certain, or have any reason to believe they have not received these vaccines, it is safe to receive the vaccine now,” said VCH spokeswoman Dr. Reka Gustafson.
Symptoms should also be reported to VCH by calling 604-675-3900.
The warning comes after several other cases of the disease in Metro Vancouver stemmed from Air China flight CA 991 from Beijing to Vancouver.
Two weeks ago, two Carver Christian High School students aboard an Air China flight between the cities tested positive for the disease.
Health officials also said last week that a student at Vancouver’s Lord Byng Secondary School had come down with measles symptoms, and vaccinations were offered to anyone at the school who hadn’t been immunized.
A total of nine people have contracted measles since the first case was identified in late March, according to VCH. In each case, the infections were linked to trips to China.
“We are actually quite confident that all the people who have developed measles were well isolated and identified very early on in their disease,” said Gustafson.
Long-term complications from measles can include deafness and brain damage. The disease kills one in every 3,000 Canadians who catch it, according to officials.
It has an incubation period that ranges from seven to 21 days after exposure, and the disease’s early symptoms resemble those of a common cold.
