iN NUMBERS: The state of measles immunization for kids in Thompson-Okanagan

Those anti-vaccine conspiracy theories your relatives are posting on Facebook are having some broader consequences than gumming up your social media feed.

As measles outbreaks are occur like it’s the 1940s, the vaccination rates in the Thompson and Okanagan regions have been on the decline.

Here are the numbers from BC Centre for Disease Control and Health Canada:

• 64: The percentage of 7-year-olds with the measles vaccination in the Okanagan in 2023.
• 79: The percentage of 7-year-olds with the measles vaccination in the Okanagan in 2017.
• 12: The percentage decline in vaccination rate for kids in the Okanagan from 2013 to 2023.
• 224: The latest count on measles cases in Canada for 2025 so far.
• 45: The number of measles cases in Canada in 2017.
• 2: The number of measles cases in BC.
• 30: The number of posts this reporter’s anti-vax relative made on Facebook this week.
• 62: The percentage of 7-year-olds in Thompson Cariboo Shuswap health service area who are immunized.
• 17: The drop in immunization rate for 7-year-olds in Thompson Cariboo Shuswap health service area from 2013 to 2023.
• 8: The number of vaccines the BCCDC publishes rates for in 7-year-olds.