Measles outbreak in the province an 'epidemic' according to Alberta doctors
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During a virtual panel held by the Alberta Medical Association on Tuesday, Dr. James Talbot, former chief medical officer of health and public health physician, said the rise in measles cases in the province is 'still not under control.'
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'The government is reluctant to call this an epidemic, but when Alberta's 1,400 cases is larger than the number for the entire United States and we have 12 times the number of active cases as Texas does per capita, there's not doubt that this is an epidemic,' he said.
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The panel is the second hosted by pediatrician Dr. Tehseen Ladha, infectious-disease specialist Dr. Lynora Saxinger and Talbot since the outbreak was first reported in March. Experts reiterated the consequences of contracting measles and the importance of vaccination and public health practices to mitigate the rise in cases.
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The province has reported 1,472 cases of measles, of which 15 are active. Children and teenagers aged five to 17 appear to be most affected by the disease, with 639 cases reported, followed by 423 cases among children aged five and younger.
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Calling the outbreak an epidemic brings a 'level of urgency that is really important when you're asking people to take time out of busy schedules and off vacation to make sure their children are immunized,' Talbot said.
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It would also spur more action from the province, he added, such as more regular updates on the spread of infection, progress reports on immunization and rationale for why urban centres such as Calgary and Edmonton haven't allowed children under a year old to get the measles vaccine.
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'To increase the level of concern appropriately for the public and to be able to make clear that the government is taking this seriously and are accountable for the resources that need to be deployed to bring this under control,' he said.
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In May, the province launched a campaign to increase public immunization by opening more spots to get vaccinated, sharing digital, radio and print ads encouraging Albertans to get vaccinated in a number of languages, as well as a measles hotline that citizens can call to have questions answered.
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'But as the measles numbers show, these measures aren't enough,' Talbot said.
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