No confirmed cases after travelers on Ottawa flights may have been exposed to measles

_ (Via Ottawa Public Health) _ ** Ottawa ** – Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has become aware that people travelling on two WestJet flights arriving in and departing from Ottawa may have been exposed to measles.

The Ottawa flights took place on March 22:

 * 
WestJet flight WS610, departed Calgary at 10:15 am and arrived in Ottawa at 3:47 pm

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WestJet flight WS369, departed Ottawa at 4:40 pm and arrived in Toronto at 5:42 pm

OPH is advising members of the public who travelled on these flights to watch for signs and symptoms of measles. No confirmed cases have been reported in Ottawa at this time. This advisory comes as a precautionary response to Toronto Public Health’s measles investigation .

Measles is a highly contagious virus that is spread by coughing and sneezing. Anyone who has not had two doses of a measles vaccine (MMR or MMRV) or who has not had measles in the past is at risk of infection if exposed to measles. Children under one year of age, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk of severe measles infections.

The risk of contracting measles in Ottawa is low ** ; ** however, given that measles is highly contagious, OPH is making the following recommendations:

 * 
Ensure you and your loved ones’ measles immunizations are up-to-date. Individuals born after 1970 require two measles vaccinations to provide the best protection (those born before 1970 are considered immune).

 * 
Anyone who feels they may have been exposed to measles should monitor themselves for the
[
 signs and symptoms of the
](http://ottawa.ca/en/node/266590)
illness, including high fever, cold-like symptoms such as cough or runny nose, sore eyes or sensitivity to light and a red rash.

 * 
Anyone experiencing symptoms as described above should contact their health care provider as soon as possible and not attend work or school.
**
 Be sure to call ahead
**
to let the health care provider know that you are coming and that you may have been exposed to measles.

For more information about about measles and immunizations, please visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca or call the Ottawa Public Health Information Line at 613-580-6744 ** ** (TTY: 613-580-9656 ). You can also connect with us through Facebook and Twitter .