Latest news with #DeenaHinshaw
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
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 and reached at
Calgary Herald
29-04-2025
- Health
- Calgary Herald
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. Article content Article content 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. Article content Article content 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. Article content Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content Article content 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. Article content Article content 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.
CBC
05-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Five years later, COVID-19 continues to leave its mark on Albertans
Social Sharing Five years after the province identified its first COVID-19 case, Albertans are being urged not to lose sight of those still struggling with its devastating impacts. In a moment few Albertans will forget, Dr. Deena Hinshaw — Alberta's then chief medical officer of health — took to the podium on March 5, 2020, to announce that a woman in her 50s had tested positive after returning from a cruise. It was the province's first presumptive COVID-19 case. Since then, 6,691 Albertans have died due to the illness. And while deaths and hospitalizations have dropped significantly, COVID-19 continues to kill hundreds of Albertans every year. "This is not a disease that has come and gone. It's unfortunately something that's left its mark on Alberta," said Craig Jenne, professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary. "The pandemic has ended but, unfortunately, the endemic stage has now begun. And this is a virus that we're going to have to deal with basically every year moving forward." And while many expected SARS-CoV-2 would eventually become a seasonal virus, similar to influenza, that hasn't truly happened. "It's not like the flu," said Sarah Otto, a professor at the University of British Columbia who specializes in mathematical modelling. "It's so transmissible and so easy to get that people are getting it … multiple times a year." Otto, an evolutionary biologist, is one of several Canadian scientists tracking COVID-19 variants. "We're not seeing it go away in the summer. It goes through these little undulations as new variants evolve and we see a little uptick. But then people's immunity builds and it goes down again. And that's happening year after year." Prior to the pandemic, the leading cause of death due to infectious diseases in Canada was influenza, according to Jenne. That has changed. "Last year alone, COVID killed more than four times as many Albertans as flu," said Jenne, who is also the deputy director of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases. "[It] continues to be a significant threat to people that have underlying health conditions, older and — to a certain extent — younger Albertans." Long COVID continues And the pandemic has left another mark: long COVID. Estimates about its prevalence vary, but according to a national survey involving Statistics Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, 19 per cent of Canadians infected with SARS-CoV-2 reported experiencing long-term symptoms (for three or more months) in 2023. "As of June 2023, about 100,000 Canadian adults have been unable to return to work or school because of their symptoms," the report said. The most common symptoms reported are fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath. But other problems can occur as well, according to doctors, including uncontrolled and rapid increases in heart rate, known as tachycardia. It can be triggered by activities as simple as standing up and walking into another room. Prior to the pandemic, Dr. Satish Raj, a Calgary-based cardiologist, was already treating patients with similar problems after viral infections. The condition is known as POTS. "What was different about COVID wasn't that this type of thing had never happened before, but that it had never happened before on the scale, societally, as it happened with COVID," said Raj, a University of Calgary professor and medical director of the Calgary autonomic investigation and management clinic. He estimates five to 10 per cent of Albertans have ongoing symptoms after a COVID infection, and up to two per cent are so debilitated they can't go to work or school. His waitlist has grown since COVID-19 hit and is now close to two years. "In our desire to move on and get past it, I think we're forgetting some of the people who have been wounded by it," said Raj. "We're not necessarily showing a commitment to providing the resources to help them to continue to be part of society." Last year, Alberta Health Services shuttered its long COVID outpatient program, which provided multi-disciplinary specialized care. Care is less co-ordinated now, said Raj. "I think there's a major domino effect by getting rid of those clinics — not just for the patients for whom they're caring — but as an information resource for physician and providers." In a statement, Alberta Health Services said most people can manage symptoms at home and people should start by contacting their primary care provider or Health Link for support. Meanwhile, with testing no longer easily accessible to the public, confirming a diagnosis of long COVID is increasingly difficult, according to Dr. Grace Lam, a University of Alberta respirologist. "It makes it really quite challenging to pin down how many Albertans are still suffering with this or are newly developing this at this point." Lam, who also treats long COVID patients, worries about people being infected multiple times. "With repeated infections, your risk of long COVID does increase," she said. But there is hope, according to Lam, who said clinical trials are exploring treatment options. Meanwhile, reflecting on the past five years, Jenne pointed to what he sees as key achievements, including global surveillance and co-operation that led to the rapid development and deployment of vaccines. "We were able to dramatically impact the number of lives lost," he said.
