March 11, 2014 - 4:59 AM
VICTORIA - B.C.'s health minister says the government won't be forcing people to get a measles vaccination despite an outbreak in the Fraser Valley.
Instead, Terry Lake says the government hopes most people heed the advice of health officials and have their children vaccinated to protect the population.
Other provinces have mandatory vaccination policies, but Lake says he's not sure the B.C. government wants to take that step.
There are two confirmed cases of measles and dozens of other suspected cases in a Chilliwack, B.C., school.
The Fraser Health Authority has issued a get-vaccinated warning to residents in half a dozen communities from Abbotsford to Hope where the immunization rate is low.
Lake says he's concerned that students are being put at risk in the school system because people aren't protecting their kids against an easily preventable disease.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014