Share this Story : Dropping vaccination rates for children in Ontario raise measles fears Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Breadcrumb Trail Links News Local News Dropping vaccination rates for children in Ontario raise measles fears Fewer Ontario kids are immunized against measles, but reporting gaps make it difficult to know exactly how many. Get the latest from Elizabeth Payne straight to your inbox Sign Up Author of the article: Elizabeth Payne Published Dec 22, 2024 • 5 minute read Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account.

Dr. Kumanan Wilson in a file photo. Wilson says Ontario's vaccine registration system makes it difficult to track actual vaccination rates.

Photo by Julie Oliver / Postmedia Article content Just 70 per cent of seven year olds in Ontario were fully vaccinated against measles last year, according to Public Health Ontario. That represents a steep drop in vaccination coverage compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the data. There have been similar declines for other routine childhood vaccines as well.

A decade ago, during the 2013-14 school year, 94 per cent of seven year olds in Ontario were fully immunized against measles. That number has steadily declined since then. Herd immunity for measles, which is among the most contagious infections in the world, is between 90 and 95 per cent.

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