Health officials administered a total of 29,000 doses of the measles vaccine to kids and teens under the B.C. government’s catch-up program.
Combined with a review of health records, the immunizations mean an additional 37,500 children are now fully protected from the highly contagious virus, the health ministry said Thursday. The number is expected to rise as more records come in.
READ MORE: B.C. looking into vaccination registry due to measles outbreak
The province launched the program in April, following an earlier outbreak of measles that stemmed from a group of French-language schools in Vancouver that led to public warnings and dozens of people getting infected.
Public health officials held clinics in schools and the community throughout B.C. to immunize kids from kindergarten to Grade 12 who either had never gotten the measles vaccine or who may not have received both recommended doses.
As of July 1, the government now also requires parents to submit their child’s vaccination records if they attend public school, so that in the event of another outbreak, officials can alert families whose children are not properly immunized and help them find a clinic if needed.
