Oxford, Elgin counties have highest measles case count in Canada as officials warn of new exposures
Southwestern Public Health area now leading the country in measles cases, according to Public Health Ontario
Oxford and Elgin counties have the highest number of measles cases in Canada, Ontario's public health agency says, as local medical officials warn of more possible exposures to the virus.
As of Feb. 26, 177 cases of measles had been detected in the province since Oct. 28, 2024, according to Public Health Ontario, most in the area covered by Southwestern Public Health (SWPH)
Eighty-five of those cases were in Elgin and Oxford counties as well as St. Thomas and Woodstock, and 79 of them were in neighbouring Grand Erie Public Health's area, which includes Brant, Norfolk and Haldimand counties.
Alongside potential exposures at three medical facilities, the latest alert includes a notice that visitors to a community arena in Aylmer may have been exposed to the virus.
Anyone born in 1970 or later who isn't up to date on their vaccinations should call public health if they were exposed, officials say.
The newly reported exposures are as follows:
- East Elgin Community Complex (arena) - 531 Talbot St., Aylmer.
- Feb.15, 2025, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Alexandra Hospital Emergency Department- 29 Noxon St., Ingersoll.
- Feb. 21, 2025, 8:53 p.m. to 11:05 p.m.
- Woodstock General Hospital Emergency Department- 310 Juliana Dr., Woodstock.
- Feb. 23, 2025, 8:20 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
- Feb. 27, 2025, 6:14 a.m. to 8:23 a.m
- Tillsonburg Medical Centre - 200 Broadway St., Tillsonburg.
- Feb. 25, 2025, 1:30 p.m. to 4:12 p.m.
While exposures at clinics and hospitals have been common in the past several weeks due to the outbreak, news of an exposure at the East Elgin Community Complex drew frustration from residents who commented on a SWPH notice posted to social media.
It's not the first time the community centre has been the subject of an alert. On Feb. 24, officials warned of a potential exposure on Feb. 17 between 5 p.m., and 8 p.m.
According to the East Elgin Community Complex's online calendar, a hockey tournament was underway at the date and time of the most recent exposure.
Since the outbreak began, public health officials have urged vaccinations. Public Health Ontario and the Ministry of Health have given the two health units a directive to increase those efforts and lower the time between initial vaccination and booster doses.
Roughly 90 per cent of cases in Ontario are in unvaccinated people, with the vast majority of them in children one to nine years old.
Two doses of the measles vaccine are recommended for anyone born in or after 1970. In Canada, the vaccine is available in the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and the measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) vaccine.
The most up-to-date list of exposure locations is on the SWPH website.