Yellowknife, NWT – It’s Immunization Awareness Week in the Northwest Territories and across Canada, and the NWT Chief Public Health Officer is reminding northerners to protect themselves against preventable diseases.
Doctor Andre Corriveau spoke Wednesday after a measles outbreak was reported in parts of Alberta.
He says the disease hasn’t been reported in the territory in over two decades, but adds you can never be too careful.
“That’s already impacting us in the sense that it worries parents or people travelling down to Alberta so we’ve been reacting to that even though I can say we haven’t had a case of measles since 1992.”
Doctor Corriveau says parents should stay on top of immunization schedules for their children.
He says they’re called preventable diseases for a reason.
“I don’t think it’s because northerners because our people do travel quite a bit. If we maintain our immunization rates enough, the protection will still be there for people who are in our communities.”
Doctor Corriveau says immunization rates for measles in the NWT are where health officials want them at 90%.
Parents can get their children immunized at any local public health units.
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