Southern Alberta sees spike in measles cases
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The number of patients suffering from measles leaped by 29 cases in southern Alberta on Friday, a daily increase that is higher than what the entire U.S. experienced in a week.
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The rise brings the total number in Alberta to 438, most of which are concentrated in southern Alberta, where almost 300 people are down with the disease. The region is followed by the Central Zone with 91 confirmed cases, and Edmonton and Calgary, which have reported six and 11 cases, respectively.
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Outbreaks — defined as two or more linked cases — have now been reported in all health zones.
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Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 20 cases in the U.S. between May 4 and 11, and two cases between May 11 and 15. In contrast, 346 cases were reported in Canada from April 27 to May 3, compared to 45 in the U.S. in the same period.
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The rate of measles is highest among children aged between under five to 17. More than 350 people suffering from the disease belong to the cohort.
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Children under five are most at risk of serious complications, particularly babies who are aged six to 12 months, said Dr. James Talbot, public health physician and the province's former chief medical officer of health, in an interview last week.
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During a panel hosted by the Alberta Medical Association on May 8, he urged Albertan families to move quickly on getting themselves and their children vaccinated, citing three reasons.
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The first, he said, is that measles is widely known to be a highly contagious virus that spreads quickly. Secondly, he explained that because it often takes time for measles symptoms to show up, there are probably more cases of the infection in Alberta than those reported.
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'And thirdly, the percentage of kids unimmunized or partially immunized is very high in Alberta,' he said.
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The panel followed days after a provincial update on May 5, wherein Adriana LaGrange, the province's health minister, and Dr. Sunil Sookram, Alberta's interim chief medical officer of health, confirmed that actions are being taken to expand the provincial response to the outbreak.
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The most recent update arrives as Measles makes a comeback in the country, especially in Alberta, where immunization rates are among the lowest in the country.
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Provincial data shows that only 71.6 per cent of seven-year-olds were fully vaccinated against the measles in 2024.
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In the south zone, where the majority of the cases are concentrated, multiple communities show vaccination rates well below 50 per cent in 2024, including the County of Forty Mile (30.2 per cent), Lethbridge (46.7 per cent) and the Municipality of Taber (39.1 per cent).
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