Medical officials push for Alberta gov’t to take more action against measles

Medical officials are calling on Alberta to take more action on controlling the spread of measles with the next school year approaching.

Speaking on Tuesday, former chief medical officer of health Dr. James Talbot says vaccination for the measles is needed so children will be immune by the start of the school year as the spread of the highly contagious disease continues.

Talbot is calling the spread an epidemic and says it has significantly moved into Calgary and the north of the province, adding there is a failure to protect children in the Calgary and Edmonton aged six to 11 months.

“My level of concern is very high, and Calgary is at the very top of that concern,” he says.

An early shot is being offered to babies as young as six months in Alberta’s South, Central, and North zones, that have seen the majority of the province’s cases.

Pediatrician Dr. Tehseen Ladha is hoping Albertans who have not vaccinated their kids will do so soon. She says parents who want ensure their children are immune for the start of the 2024-25 school year need to get their shots now.

“It is a big deal and we need to protect against it,” she says. “Children between six to 11 months have the highest risk of complications.”

As of Tuesday, Alberta has seen 1,472 cases in the latest outbreak, more than all of the U.S. since the beginning of March.

The doctors group wants the province to start holding measles briefings like they did during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I really would like to see a strong public health campaign centred on reliable evidence based information to help address the issues of trust and anti-vaccine narratives,” says Dr. Lynora Saxinger. “These are actually putting people’s health and lives at risk.”

Health officials on Tuesday warned of a possible measles exposure at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary earlier this month.

More information on masles can be found at ahs.ca/measles, or ahs.ca/immunization.