Alberta's measles outbreaks are now the worst in nearly half a century

Jennifer Lee · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 12, 2025 6:57 PM EDT | Last Updated: 41 minutes ago

Alberta's measles surge is truthful dramatic, the past clip lawsuit counts were higher Calgary did not person an NHL team, O Canada was not yet the authoritative nationalist anthem and gasoline would set you backmost 24 cents a litre.

The state reported 29 much cases connected Thursday, bringing the total since the outbreaks began successful March to 868. That pushes the state past the levels seen during a surge successful 1986, erstwhile 854 cases were reported.

A higher lawsuit number hasn't been recorded since 1979.

"It's a small shocking. The numbers we're looking astatine present contiguous truly haven't been seen successful Alberta since the 1970s," said Craig Jenne, a prof successful the section of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases astatine the University of Calgary.

"[We're] truly going backmost to an epoch wherever the vaccine programme truly was conscionable getting started. We're going backmost to, really, pre-vaccination times present successful Alberta," helium said.

While determination had been earlier versions of a measles vaccine, Alberta launched its regular immunization programme for a azygous dose of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine in 1982.

According to the Public Agency of Canada, the rollout of the azygous MMR dose took spot crossed the state betwixt 1974 and 1983. Two doses of the vaccine became regular betwixt 1996 and 1997.

"By the clip we got into the aboriginal 1980s, for the astir portion astir children successful Canada were vaccinated and measles became a happening mostly of the past," said Jenne, who's besides the lawman manager of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases.

"There were years with important outbreaks, including 1986, but arsenic the numbers uncover contiguous we've eclipsed adjacent those outbreaks. So we truly person thrown the state backmost into a concern wherever we're looking overmuch similar Canada did earlier we had unfastened entree to measles vaccines."

According to the Alberta government, the highest recorded measles lawsuit number was successful 1957, erstwhile 12,337 cases were reported.

• Doctors pass of 'frightening' measles complication that tin onslaught a decennary aft archetypal infection

• Southern Alberta's 472 confirmed measles cases 'tip of the iceberg,' wellness authoritative says

Health officials are cautioning that this year's authoritative lawsuit number is conscionable the "tip of the iceberg" and that determination are cases successful the state going unreported and undetected.

The south, cardinal and northbound zones proceed to beryllium the hardest hit.

A lasting measles vulnerability advisory remains successful effect for confederate Alberta owed to wide transmission.

On Thursday,  Alberta Health Services besides issued a lasting advisory for the pursuing locations wrong the northbound zone, owed to precocious lawsuit numbers and interest astir broader transmission:

• The Hamlet of La Crete
• St. Theresa General Hospital successful Fort Vermilion
• Northwest Health Centre successful High Level

"Unfortunately we've seen this threshold coming now for respective weeks erstwhile we had seen the constitution of assemblage level transmission, wherever vaccine rates simply aren't precocious capable to halt assemblage spread," said Jenne.

As of June 7, a full of 75 Albertans had been hospitalized owed to measles since the outbreaks began, including 12 radical who ended up successful intensive care.

The immense bulk of cases person been among the unimmunized, according to provincial data.

Alberta is offering an early and extra measles vaccine dose to babies arsenic young arsenic six months aged who are surviving successful the south, cardinal and northbound zones.

Measles tin pb to superior complications including pneumonia, encephalon inflammation, premature transportation and death.

Children nether the property of five, large Albertans and those with weakened immune systems are the astir vulnerable.

Measles symptoms include:

• High fever.
• Cough.
• Runny nose.
• Red eyes.
• A blotchy, reddish rash that appears 3 to 7 days aft the fever starts. In darker tegument colours, it whitethorn look purple oregon darker than surrounding skin. 

Alberta Health provides elaborate accusation connected measles lawsuit counts, symptoms and escaped immunizations here.

A measles hotline is disposable for radical with questions astir symptoms, immunization records oregon to publication an appointment: 1-844-944-3434. AHS is advising anyone with measles symptoms to enactment location and telephone the hotline earlier visiting immoderate hospital, medical session oregon pharmacy.