Dr. Miriam Oliver is a pediatrician and the head of the Department of Paediatrics at Penticton Regional Hospital. She's also a mother of two who feels strongly about protecting children and our community from preventable disease.
She shared with us her professional experiences with young, unvaccinated patients and their families, and urges everyone to take measles seriously.
Keeping your kids and our communities safe
Let me start by saying this: measles is no joke. It’s a deadly virus that spreads quickly and kills susceptible children and the elderly more than healthy adults. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 107,500 people died from measles in 2023 – mostly children under the age of five.
I get it. Vaccines can sound scary, and you might have read things online or heard things from friends or family that made you think twice about vaccinating.
You are a good parent to be worried about your child’s well-being and to want to keep your kids safe. But we know that choosing to vaccinate can save your kids, your friends, your family and your community from preventable disease. Please consider vaccinating to keep everyone safe.
Why you should be concerned about measles
Measles is very contagious and can cause serious illness, with complications including pneumonia, deafness, brain inflammation, and, in severe cases, death.
As of March 18, 2025, Canada had 369 recorded measles cases to date this year, with many requiring hospitalization. This is up from 227 cases on March 6, not even two weeks earlier.
Cases have occurred when unvaccinated individuals travel to or from areas where measles is circulating. In recent months, there have been measles cases in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia that occurred because travellers were exposed to measles in another province or country.
Most cases are unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children who have been exposed in their communities, such as at social events, daycares, schools and in health-care settings.
The measles vaccine is safe and effective
Measles vaccine is available as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) or measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine. A single dose of measles vaccine given at 12 or 15 months of age prevents 85 to 95 per cent of measles infections. A second dose prevents almost 100 per cent of infections.
Reactions to MMR vaccine are generally mild and transient and include pain and redness at the injection site, fever less than 39°C and rash. Reactions to MMRV vaccine include pain and redness at the injection site and fever less than 39°C in 10 per cent or more of vaccine recipients, measles-like, rubella-like or varicella-like rash, and swelling at the injection site. Fever greater than 39°C occurs in less than 10 per cent of vaccine recipients.
Why I vaccinate
I have two beautiful, perfect children whom I love more than life itself. I would do anything to protect them. I feel equally strongly about protecting all the kids I care for at the hospital and in my clinic.
I have seen vaccine-preventable illnesses like meningitis, pneumococcus and varicella (chickenpox) cause irreversible brain damage or hearing loss in children. I’ve witnessed the distress of those children’s families in wishing that they could turn back time and make a different choice about vaccinations.
I have witnessed families’ anger when their infant is hospitalized for pertussis (whooping cough) and struggling to breathe. Their illness would have been preventable had others in their community been willing to vaccinate to keep them safe. My heart goes out to all of them.
We can save lives and prevent illness and hospitalizations by getting a safe and effective vaccine. Let’s work together to keep ourselves and our communities healthy.
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