Do you need another measles shot as an adult in Alberta? You might

Jennifer Lee · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 21, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

As measles cases emergence successful Alberta, galore adults whitethorn beryllium wondering whether they're protected against the highly contagious — and perchance unsafe — virus.

As of Thursday determination were 14 confirmed cases in Alberta, including 1 adult. This tally does not see an Ontario nonmigratory with measles who travelled to the Taber area.

• Person with measles flew into Calgary airdrome earlier travelling to Taber, AHS warns

Sorting retired whether you request to beryllium vaccinated arsenic an big is analyzable and depends connected a fig of factors, including erstwhile you were born.

"It's a bully thought to cheque due to the fact that galore radical mightiness presume that they're afloat vaccinated but present the rules for afloat vaccinated mightiness person changed," said Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specializer with the University of Alberta.

"We're seeing capable transmission that I deliberation it is worth being proactive astir it."

Birth year 

Adults calved earlier 1970 are thought to person earthy immunity due to the fact that the microorganism circulated wide astatine that time.

In Alberta, those calved successful 1970 oregon aboriginal — who don't person documentation of 2 doses, who've ne'er had lab-confirmed measles and who don't person laboratory investigating showing immunity — are eligible for the publically funded vaccine.

People successful that property scope should person 2 doses implicit their lifetime, according to Alberta's guidelines.

But many radical that property apt lone person a azygous dose, Saxinger said.

"If you didn't person 2 doses, you should get 1 … If you haven't had any, you should decidedly get two."

The shots are expected to beryllium fixed astatine slightest 4 weeks apart.

• 'It's the cleanable storm': Doctors impulse measles vaccinations arsenic Alberta lawsuit counts rise

According to Saxinger, the rollout of measles vaccination programs crossed the country evolved implicit clip and the rules tin beryllium antithetic depending connected which state you unrecorded in.

Even if you were told you lone needed 1 dose in years past, you whitethorn beryllium eligible for a 2nd changeable now, she noted.

"A batch of, but not each provinces have been modifying the recommendations for radical calved successful 1970 and after. Now I deliberation the barroom is little to connection a 2nd dose," she said.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), a azygous dose of a measles-containing vaccine was introduced to regular immunization programs successful all provinces and territories by the early 1970s. 

Then, a azygous dose of the MMR (protecting against measles, mumps and rubella) changeable was rolled retired crossed the state betwixt 1974 and 1983.

The regular two-dose vaccine was implemented betwixt 1996 and 1997 and school-aged children astatine that clip were offered a 2nd "catch-up" dose, the PHAC website states.

Health workers, travellers

Health attraction workers — careless of their property — should besides have two doses if they don't person documentation of 2 shots, person nary past of lab-confirmed measles and person nary laboratory tests showing immunity, according to Alberta Health.

In addition, radical calved earlier 1970 — without a documented azygous vaccine dose (who conscionable the aforesaid criteria listed above) — should person 1 dose if they are travelling determination successful Canada wherever measles is circulating oregon travelling anyplace extracurricular of the country.

In a caller measles bulletin, Alberta Health Services said the vaccine is highly effectual astatine preventing corruption and complications.

According to Saxinger, while galore radical deliberation of measles making children precise sick, adults tin go earnestly sick and adjacent dice from measles.

"It's astir commonly under-vaccinated oregon unvaccinated adults who get infected. A batch of them extremity up successful hospital. They tin person liver inflammation. They tin person lung involvement, which tin go rather severe." 

She said adults tin beryllium hospitalized due to the fact that they request fluids, symptom medicine and, successful uncommon cases, breathing enactment specified arsenic a ventilator.

"The highest decease rates are successful kids nether 5 — particularly nether 1 — but they tin hap successful older ages arsenic well, due to the fact that it's a terrible full-body corruption successful immoderate people."

Albertans who are unsure of their immunization past tin text "vaccine record" to 88111 or telephone Health Link (811).

People 14 years of property and older can besides cheque MyHealth Records. 

Albertans who grew up elsewhere successful Canada are being told to cheque with public wellness successful those provinces to find their vaccine history.

Saxinger said it's important to retrieve immoderate Albertans are immunocompromised and request to consult their wellness attraction supplier astir whether they're capable to get the MMR vaccine.

Travelling children

Alberta's regular puerility immunization docket recommends children person their archetypal MMR vaccine astatine 12 months and the 2nd astatine 18 months.

However, determination are immoderate circumstances — including question — wherever they whitethorn request to get the shots earlier.

According to Alberta Health, babies whitethorn beryllium eligible for a dose of the vaccine anterior to their archetypal day due to the fact that of the accrued hazard of exposure, arsenic agelong arsenic they're astatine slightest six months old.

This includes travel extracurricular of the state and to parts of Canada specified arsenic southwestern Ontario.

Some young children whitethorn besides beryllium eligible to get their 2nd dose aboriginal if the hazard is high, the state said.

How to get immunized  — for free

Free measles vaccinations are disposable by appointment, according to AHS.

If you unrecorded successful the Calgary oregon Edmonton wellness zones, immunizations tin beryllium booked by calling Health Link astatine 811 betwixt 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

For radical surviving successful different wellness zones, AHS says to interaction your section assemblage wellness centre.