As children across British Columbia prepare to return to school next week, a mumps outbreak in the Fraser Valley is expected to pick up steam, health officials say.
That means schools must be given the mandate to vaccinate more children more often as is the case in other provinces, said B.C.'s provincial health officer, Dr. Perry Kendall.
"They might be willing to look at something like the Ontario situation, where there's a little more power for public health to keep children who aren't immunized out of schools, both for their own sake but also to protect the kids," Kendall said.
In Ontario, if there is a mumps outbreak, kids who aren't immunized get sent home until it's over, he said.
Only one mumps case has been reported in the past 24 hours, but officials are bracing for more infections.
Symptoms of mumps typically include swelling in the neck and jaw, though in severe cases meningitis, deafness and sterility can result.
While most people get their shots at the age of between 12 and 18 months, some in the area are opposed to vaccinations due to religious beliefs.
There are no concrete plans for vaccination clinics, although some students in Chilliwack have already been offered a second dose of the vaccine.
The highest-risk group is people born after 1970, who have never been immunized.
B.C.'s Minister of Healthy Living says she supports the idea of mandatory vaccination.
"We're certainly interested in maintaining a parent's right over their children's health," said Mary Polak.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber
