As cases of measles are surging among children in Alberta, the BC government is urging parents in British Columbia to get their kids up-to-date on vaccinations before back-to-school.
As of the latest reporting from the BC Centre for Disease Control, BC has just one current, active case of measles, and has had 197 confirmed cases thus far in 2025.
Meanwhile, in Alberta, there are 12 current cases of measles, and there have been 1,790 cases so far this year, according to Alberta Health Services.
Though measles is making a comeback, due in large part to children not being vaccinated, there are other immunizations that the BC government is urging parents to get their kids up-to-date on. These include mumps and rubella, polio, pertussis (whooping cough) and chickenpox.
“Children will soon start to gather in schools or child care spaces, and they will interact with more people from outside of their households. This means they will be more exposed to various infectious diseases,” said Dr. Martin Lavoie, British Columbia’s deputy provincial health officer.
“Particularly this year, as we are seeing significant increases in measles cases in the province and across Canada, August is the perfect time to check whether your children’s immunization records are up to date and to book an appointment for any outstanding vaccinations.”
Dr. Lavoie added that being vaccinated is the best way to protect children from vaccine-preventable illnesses that can cause serious illness, long-term disability and even death.
Children under 18-years-old can get vaccines for more than a dozen diseases, such as influenza, polio, measles, chickenpox and COVID-19—all of which are free.
Parents who want to find out more about what immunizations their kids are eligible for can visit HealthLink BC.
For young children, appointments for immunizations can be booked at health units or at some doctor or nurse-practitioner offices.
For children over 4-years-old, parents can also book an appointment to get them vaccinated at some pharmacies.
“School-age children are routinely offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in Grade 6, and tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and meningitis vaccines in Grade 9 at clinics held in schools,” said Dr Lavoie.
“They can also get vaccinated at health units, community health centres, some doctors’ and nurse-practitioners’ offices and some pharmacies.”
More information on immunization and vaccine records is available through the Province’s Health Gateway.
