Waterloo Region – The Region of Waterloo Public Health has set up clinics for priority groups to receive the measles vaccination following the province’s decision to expand eligibility. Residents without access to a primary care provider are encouraged to book an appointment at a Public Health clinic. Appointments are now available online for priority groups.

Priority groups are those without a primary care provider who are infants (age 6 months to 1 year to receive their first dose early), children (ages 1 to 4 to receive their second dose early), and adults born on or after 1970 who need a second dose.

“The best protection against measles is the highly effective and safe MMR vaccination,” said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, Medical Officer for Region of Waterloo Public Health. “The MMR vaccine greatly reduces the risk of getting measles and helps protect the broader community from further exposures.”

For those without a primary care provider, clinics will be running at 150 Main Street in Cambridge and 20 Weber Street East in Kitchener. Appointments can be booked online at www.regionofwaterloo.ca/measles and are about twenty minutes in length. Individuals cannot have received a prior measles dose less than four weeks from the date of their appointment and will need to enter their first and last name, date of birth, phone number or health card number to register for an appointment.

“As we continue to see an increased number of measles cases across the community, we are also seeing an increase of measles exposures in community settings. Residents and businesses are encouraged to check potential exposure locations regularly to see if they have been exposed,” said David Aoki, Director of Infectious Diseases and Chief Nursing Officer.

For more information, please visit the Public Health page on measles, including information on the virus, how to protect yourself, and vaccine information.

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