Breakenridge: Why has province been so unwilling to talk about measles vaccines?
Before 2020, there were likely few Albertans who could name Alberta's chief medical officer of health (CMOH). That's likely the case once again.
In between, of course, Deena Hinshaw — much like her provincial and federal counterparts — became a household name. That's not the norm, nor should we want it to be. But our level of familiarity with top health officials should be a byproduct of circumstances, not political preference.
It was very much a matter of political preference when Premier Danielle Smith fired Hinshaw as CMOH as one of her first acts as premier. Dr. Mark Joffe was subsequently appointed interim CMOH, a position he held for more than two years before finally bowing out earlier this month.
We've gone from one interim CMOH to another. Dr. Sunil Sookram has been temporarily appointed, while the province has begun the process of finding a permanent replacement.
It remains to be seen whether the new interim CMOH will be any more visible or vocal than his predecessor. Based on Joffe's tenure, that seems unlikely. With a worsening measles outbreak in the province, though, that is less than ideal.
Barely a day goes by now that we aren't hearing about new measles cases and potential public exposures to the virus. Alberta's outbreak isn't the worst in North America, or even Canada, but it's highly concerning.
As the measles case count has continued to climb — now well over 100 — Alberta's CMOH has been conspicuously absent. There were no public news conferences and no interview requests granted. The province maintained that Joffe was closely monitoring the situation and it was being largely handled by local health officials in affected areas.
It's reminiscent of the E. coli outbreak that occurred in Calgary in 2023. It wasn't until we had well over 200 cases linked to that outbreak — including more than two dozen hospitalized children — that the CMOH was finally allowed to appear at a news conference. It was 10 months into his appointment as CMOH and his first public appearance.
Was it Joffe's decision to maintain a low profile through this measles outbreak? That should be a decision that falls to the CMOH based on an assessment of the situation.
How to find out if you need the measles vaccine
What to know about measles outbreaks and why they're happening
It is both revealing and troubling that one of the first acts from Joffe as a now-former CMOH was to write an op-ed for the Calgary Herald laying out the reasons Albertans should be alarmed by this measles outbreak, and how crucial it is for us to increase vaccination rates. Later in the week, he gave a lengthy presentation at the University of Alberta emphasizing the same points. It is commendable that he would lend his expertise and whatever profile he still has to raise awareness about this rather important matter, but regrettable that he wasn't able to convey this message only days earlier, while still CMOH.
It's fair to note here that Alberta Health Services has been diligent and transparent in publishing the measles case count and details around potential public exposures to the virus. Statements from AHS and Alberta Health have extolled the benefits and safety profile of the measles vaccine.
This isn't the COVID pandemic and we certainly don't need daily televised news conferences from the CMOH. However, it's not a binary choice between a saturation of daily briefings and no appearances whatsoever. There is more than enough room in between for some meaningful and deliberate public communications.
It's unclear why the province has been so unwilling to allow the CMOH to speak publicly. It could just be a lingering distaste of the CMOH's pandemic profile. Or, perhaps it's a reluctance to concede the seriousness of the outbreak. Hopefully, this has nothing to do with the politicization of vaccines.
If we're going to still have a CMOH, this is precisely the sort of situation they need to be at the forefront of.
The province shouldn't stand in the way of that.
Rob Breakenridge is a Calgary-based broadcaster and writer. He can be found at x.com/RobBreakenridge and reached at rob.breakenridge@gmail.com
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