Alberta’s medical community is on high alert as measles outbreaks continue to surge, raising concerns about the resurgence of once-controlled infectious diseases. The province is grappling with its most severe measles outbreak in nearly 50 years, with no signs of abatement. Although Canada had declared measles eliminated in 1998, declining vaccination rates in Alberta and across the nation have paved the way for the virus’s comeback.
Dr. Cora Constantinescu, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Alberta Children’s Hospital, likened measles to a warning signal for potential health crises, indicating gaps in immunization coverage. The province has reported a total of 879 measles cases since the outbreaks began earlier this year, underlining the urgency to boost vaccination rates.
Experts emphasize that measles is a frontrunner in resurfacing infectious diseases due to its high contagion rate, necessitating approximately 95% vaccination coverage for community-wide protection. Data from 2024 revealed that only 68.1% of Alberta’s two-year-olds were up to date with the measles vaccine, underscoring the vulnerability to preventable diseases.
Beyond measles, concerns loom over the resurgence of polio, a highly infectious disease that can lead to severe complications, including paralysis and death. The historic success in eradicating polio through widespread immunization campaigns is now at risk as vaccination rates dip below the threshold needed for herd immunity.
In a similar vein, whooping cough, or pertussis, has reemerged in Alberta, posing grave risks to infants and young children. The decline in vaccination rates for pertussis, alongside polio, raises alarms about the potential for increased disease burden and fatalities.
With infectious diseases making a comeback, healthcare professionals stress the critical importance of maintaining high vaccination rates to safeguard public health. The resurgence of preventable illnesses serves as a stark reminder of the collective responsibility to uphold immunization practices and protect vulnerable populations from disease outbreaks.