Story by Erica Fisher, 2Day FM Grande Prairie
If you took a flight between Vancouver and Edmonton late last month, you may have been exposed to the measles. Alberta Health Services has confirmed that a passenger on a WestJet flight that left Vancouver at 10:20 p.m. Pacific Time on February 24th had the measles. They were also in the Edmonton International Airport from 12:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. on February 25th.
People who were in the area during that time may be at risk for developing the disease if they were born after 1970 and haven’t had it before or two doses of the vaccine. Measles is extremely contagious and can be spread easily through the air.
Passengers on the WestJet flight WS 186 will be contacted directly, but people in the Edmonton airport in that timeframe should watch for symptoms until March 18th. They include a fever, cough, runny nose or red eyes, and a red blotchy rash three to seven days after the fever starts.