Public health warns of measles exposure at Fort St. John, B.C., prenatal clinic

FORT ST. JOHN — People who attended a prenatal clinic in Fort St. John, B.C., have been told they may have been exposed to measles.

The Northern Health authority says in a statement that it believes the total number of patients exposed is less than 20.

It says the authority has directly contacted those thought to be at high risk, including people who aren’t immunized, are pregnant or are immunocompromised.

It says health officials are speaking with the patients to assess their situation and offer post-exposure medication.

The authority says people with measles are infectious for four days before the onset of visible symptoms and they reached out to those who may have been exposed in the clinic on the day the case was identified.

The authority says infants who are not yet eligible for vaccination, people with compromised immune systems and non-immunized pregnant women are at increased risk for both getting measles and having severe outcomes.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says about 100 cases of measles have been reported in the province so far this year and more than two-thirds of those were in the Northern Health region.

Ontario’s chief medical officer of health said last month that since that province’s outbreak began last fall, six babies were born with congenital measles — meaning they were infected in the womb through unvaccinated mothers — and one infant died.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2025.