Southwestern Public Health today (Tuesday) is reporting five new measles exposures in its coverage area, four of them at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital.
The exposures occurred in the Emergency Department between Feb. 27 and March 4.
The fifth exposure was March 5 in the Emergency Department of Woodstock Hospital.
Here are the dates and times to be aware of:
St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital – Emergency Department
- February 27 – 1:30 to 4 p.m.
- March 1 – 10 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. on March 2
- March 2 – 6:30 to 10:03 p.m.
- March 4 – 3 to 6 p.m.
Woodstock Hospital – Emergency Department
- March 5 – 1:43 to 5:16 p.m.
If you were present at these locations during these timeframes, were born in 1970 or later, and are not up to date with your vaccinations, call public health at 1-800-922-0096. This includes those who were only present briefly as measles is highly contagious and can linger in the air for up to two hours.
Find out what actions to take if you were exposed to measles at Measles | Southwestern Public Health. You can also view a list of all known recent measles exposure locations and timelines, vaccination guidance, and a Measles Exposure Risk Assessment tool to understand if you are at-risk from a measles exposure.
Measles is a reportable disease of public health significance that can result in complications such as diarrhea, ear infections, and pneumonia. Rarely, measles can cause brain infections and death.
