A positive update on measles cases within Windsor-Essex.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) Board met on Thursday afternoon where an update on local measles cases was provided by the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Mehdi Aloosh.
The update indicated that the region is at the tail end of the outbreak with only two confirmed measles cases for the month of June.
The region has slowly been seeing a downward trend. April saw the peak of the cases with 82 confirmed, however cases fell to 19 in May.
Dr. Aloosh states there's been a significant reduction in cases.
"Other indicators including wastewater surveillance are going down, so we are probably at the tail end of the outbreak. But we need to ensure that we keep our guards up, and we be vigilant about any future cases."
He says vaccination is still key.
"Kids now are in summer camps, so still there's a chance of transmission of disease, even at this time. So, yes I recommend our community vaccinate their children."
He remains hopeful that by winter there are no more cases.
"For decades Canada eliminated measles which meant that there was no transmission from one case to the other case, so this is our hope that by the winter we go back to that situation."
Dr. Aloosh adds that now that children are done school for the summer, it's a good idea to vaccinate prior to school starting in September to ensure there is no spike in cases.
Windsor-Essex saw their first confirmed case of measles locally in February, and have since confirmed 147 cases.
Those who may have been exposed to measles are asked to contact the WECHU and monitor for symptoms of measles that may appear seven to 21 days after exposure. Those experiencing extreme symptoms that require medical attention are encouraged to visit the emergency department.