As southern Alberta battles its worst measles outbreak in decades, some doctors are warning the virus is more rampant than the case counts show and they’re now struggling to keep up with demand.
As of midday Wednesday, 628 cases had been confirmed in Alberta since the outbreaks began in March.
The last time the province reported more cases was 1987, when 690 cases were confirmed.
“Unfortunately I think, for at least parts of the province, this is no longer controllable,” said Craig Jenne, a professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary.
The vast majority of this year’s cases — 472 cases as of Wednesday — are in the south zone.
And the Taber Health Centre emergency department is dealing with high volumes of measles patients, according Dr. Eric Leishman, a family physician working there.
“Almost every single patient that I have swabbed in the ER for suspected measles has tested positive,” he said in an email.
“For many of the measles patients we see in the ER, we are often told that they have multiple family members who have also had measles recently. So the number of reported official cases is only a fraction of actual cases that are out there.”
‘All hands on deck’
A standing measles exposure advisory is now in effect for the entire zone due to widespread risk in southern Alberta.
“Obviously, we are quite concerned … about those numbers, the number of hospitalizations, and how many more weeks [and] months we may be in this,” said Dr. Vivien Suttorp, the lead medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services in the south zone
“It’s all hands on deck.”
According to Suttorp, teams from across the health system are working together to rein in the outbreaks.
Hospitals, including the Taber facility, are equipped with negative pressure rooms to prevent spread of the airborne virus.
Plans have also been made for stand-alone assessment and treatment centres, and those will be opened based on need.
As well, teams are also testing and treating people in their homes to prevent onward transmission, she said.
Confirmed case counts represent the “tip of the iceberg,” according to Suttorp, and they’re increasing rapidly.
“Not everybody seeks medical care. Not everybody needs additional medical assessment,” she said.
“So we know that the numbers are larger than what we are seeing. The other piece is that it is spreading across southern Alberta in quite a short time period.”
She noted broader community transmission — where sporadic cases with no known source are identified — has been increasing over the last 10 days.
Measles is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia, brain inflammation (resulting in deafness, seizures or brain damage), premature delivery and even death.
The Alberta government website states that between one and three of every 1,000 people infected will die.
“It is extremely frustrating that our ER patient volumes are becoming nearly unmanageable due to an infectious disease that is preventable with routine immunization,” said Leishman.
Provincial data shows the vast majority of cases are among the unimmunized.
“Many of our physicians are experiencing burnout and having difficulty with the increased volume of ER patients,” he said.
Another physician shared similar concerns about patient volumes, noting Taber is a small community with limited health-care workers, and nurses are also being asked to work more shifts.
The province has identified the Municipal District of Taber, the County of Lethbridge and the County of Forty Mile as key hotspots in southern Alberta.
According to provincial data, 55.8 per cent of two-year-olds in the south zone were fully vaccinated with two doses of the measles vaccine in 2024.
The M.D. of Taber had the lowest rate at 28.7 per cent.
That’s far below the 95 per cent overall vaccination rate infectious disease experts say is needed for population level protection.
Leishman calls the immunization rates in his community, “shockingly low.”
Provincial data shows a total of 44 Albertans had been hospitalized due to measles as of May 17. No deaths have been reported.
“We have seen some bad outcomes, particularly in younger children and infants,” said Leishman.
“We have had several children who have required hospital admission, and even intubation due to respiratory distress.”
Some of the sickest children, from both the south and central zones, have been sent to Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary for treatment in recent weeks.
“There are many, many, many people across the province — but also in southern Alberta — that are at risk of being exposed and getting disease,” said Suttorp.
“It is important that families are aware of the serious complications and to seek medical attention early rather than late.”
Babies as young as six months old, who are living in the south, central and north zones, are being offered an early, and extra, vaccine dose.
And Suttorp said AHS is working to ensure there are always immunization appointments available in rural areas
No end in sight
With the kind of rapid growth Alberta is experiencing combined with pockets of very low vaccination rates, experts say the outbreaks could last months.
“This is in the community, and until we significantly change the playing field, the virus is going to continue to spread,” said Jenne, who is also the deputy director of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases.
“The only thing that brings measles back under control is administration of vaccination, and that takes time and it takes public support and buy-in to do that.”
The Alberta government announced new steps, including an ad campaign, increased vaccine clinic access and a new measles hotline, earlier this month.
“I really haven’t seen a lot of the advertising campaign,” said Jenne. “Despite the critical importance of getting vaccines out there, I’m not seeing the same urgency, and that remains a concern.”
Friends of Medicare is calling for “urgent action” from the government of Alberta, including more frequent updates from government and health officials.
“It’s clear the previously announced public campaign and steps for increased access to immunization in the central and south zones have not been enough to stop the spread in Alberta,” executive director Chris Gallaway, said in news release on Monday.
An official with the new Primary and Preventative Health Services Ministry told CBC News the government is taking the outbreak seriously and “continues to monitor the situation closely, particularly in areas with low immunization rates, such as the south zone.”
The province said it is committed to promoting immunization, noting that 3,895 vaccinations have been administered in the south zone since mid-March — more than double the number given out during the same period last year.
According to the province, health officials have been on the ground working with the hardest hit communities, and the ad campaign will be translated into more than 14 languages
“While this is encouraging, more needs to be done to increase immunization rates in various communities where cultural beliefs play a role in lower vaccination rates currently,” the statement said.
“Immunization remains our strongest defence, and we urge all Albertans to ensure their immunizations vaccinations are up to date,” the statement said.
The health official said people who cannot be vaccinated (including young infants, pregnant Albertans and those with specific immunocompromising conditions) can reduce their risk by socializing only with people who are immunized and avoiding indoor gatherings.
Measles symptoms include:
- High fever.
- Cough.
- Runny nose.
- Red eyes.
- Blotchy, red rash that appears three to seven days after the fever starts. In darker skin colours, it may appear purple or darker than surrounding skin.
Alberta Health provides detailed information on measles case counts, symptoms and free immunizations here.
And a measles hotline is available for people with questions about symptoms, immunization records or to book an appointment: 1-844-944-3434.
AHS is advising anyone with measles symptoms to stay home and call the hotline before visiting any hospital, medical clinic or pharmacy.
