There are four confirmed cases of measles in Burnaby, Surrey, Abbotsford and Chilliwack and several others have symptoms consistent with measles.

Victoria Lee with Fraser Health says most of these cases have had no known exposure to measles. All were either unimmunized, incompletely immunized, or did not know their immunization status.

“Very concerning for us as health practitioners because measles is a very contagious disease.”

There have been several other outbreaks throughout the summer and doctors have continued to warn of the dangers of not being immunized.

“If you aren’t immunized you’re most at risk in terms of measles circulating, so you yourself are put at risk but there are vulnerable people especially children that are also at risk.”

The authority says often, travellers bring back measles from aboard, but in most of the current cases, the patients have no known exposure to measles.

While people born before 1957 are likely to be immune because outbreaks were once common, officials say individuals born after 1956 should receive two doses of the vaccine before the age of one.