The Alberta government is implementing new measures to manage escalating measles outbreaks in the province, as case counts spike to levels not seen since 1987.
The province announced 42 active cases as of May 6, bringing the total to 287 since the onset of the outbreaks in March. It is the highest case count in Alberta since 1987, when 690 were confirmed.
“At this time, we are looking at the highest number of measles cases in the province in decades,” interim chief medical officer of health Dr. Sunil Sookram said during a May 5 press conference. “Up until now, we thought the disease had been eradicated—but things have changed. Measles is now circulating in several areas in our province, and it’s quite concerning.”
As of the weekend, three patients under the age of 18 were in intensive care due to the virus, the province has confirmed, saying the majority of those cases were among those not vaccinated for measles. No deaths have been reported thus far.
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said 95 percent of a population must be immunized to prevent the spread of the disease, but certain health zones in Alberta do not meet this target.
Approximately 80 percent of all confirmed cases are in two of the province’s five health zones, with 171 cases in the south zone and 79 in the central zone. While there are cases in every region of the province, there are fewer in the northern, Calgary, and Edmonton zones where there were 21, 10, and six cases respectively as of May 6.
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Medical officer for the central health zone Dr. Ifeoma Achebe said vaccination rates in her zone sit at 90 percent, but that falls to 72 percent in the northeast area of the zone where the majority of the cases are located.
The case are labelled by health officials as “local outbreaks,” and the government won’t declare a provincial outbreak unless there is a rise in cases across all health zones, LaGrange said.
Alberta Health Services has launched an early dose of measles-containing vaccines, which are now available for infants aged six to 11 months in the north, central, and south zones, the province said in a press release. This is in addition to the standard immunization schedule, which is two doses of the measles-containing vaccine administered at 12 and 18 months of age.
Access to immunization is also being expanded by adding more appointment slots at clinics located in the southern and central regions, LaGrange said. Immunization appointments are now available during evenings and weekends in the south zone and walk-in vaccinations are available in the central zone in the evenings and some Saturdays.
Alberta Health Services is also prepared to increase its hours and provide additional clinic space throughout the province as needed.
The province is planning an ad blitz via radio, print, digital and social media in 14 languages to get the message out. It has also introduced a hotline for measles, to expedite inquiries about immunization status and vaccine scheduling, while also offering guidance to those exhibiting symptoms. The HealthLink hotline can be reached at 1-844-944-3434.
Alberta’s NDP Opposition is criticizing the government for its response to the growing number of measles cases, saying it didn’t act quickly enough.
Shadow Minister of Health Sarah Hoffman called the rising caseload a “pressing public health crisis” and accused the government in a May 6 video posted to social media of declining to hold an emergency debate about the growing number of measles cases.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that is transmitted when infected individuals cough or sneeze into the air. It can also be spread through contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth after touching a contaminated surface. Common symptoms of measles consist of fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a red, blotchy rash.
Measles can also lead to serious complications including blindness, severe breathing problems including pneumonia, and encephalitis, an infection causing brain swelling and potentially brain damage, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Complications are most common in children younger than five, adults older than 30, and in pregnant women, the WHO said. If a woman contracts measles during pregnancy, this can result in her baby being born prematurely with a low birth weight.
