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Measles Cases Spread in B.C. with Local Transmission in Chilliwack and Kamloops

Tracing exposures, health authorities urge residents to confirm vaccinations after provincial immunization rates fell below 75 percent.

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Alberta's Kimie Fukuta-Birch was just four months old when she was diagnosed with measles in spring of 2025.
B.C. Premier David Eby appears in Vancouver, on Monday, May 26, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
 A symptom of measles includes a rash that starts on the torso and spreads to the limbs.

Overview

  • Four locally acquired cases were confirmed this week in unvaccinated residents—three in Chilliwack and one in Kamloops.
  • The BC Centre for Disease Control flagged exposures at a Victoria café and on four BC Ferries sailings on June 20, prompting Island Health to warn of likely Vancouver Island cases.
  • British Columbia has recorded 49 measles cases so far this year, with 12 active infections and 17 new cases reported across three health regions since June 19.
  • Premier David Eby blamed anti-vaccination political rhetoric for the surge and urged everyone born after 1970 to verify they’ve received two measles vaccine doses.
  • Across Canada, Alberta has surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases and Ontario reported its first measles-related death, spurring nationwide calls to update vaccination records.