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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Everything you need to know about vaccine-preventable diseases
For months, Alberta's doctors have chimed over and over again: Get vaccinated against the measles. As cases have surpassed 1,000, leading to a higher likelihood of severe symptoms and possible fatalities, the chime has grown louder, accompanied by province-wide campaigns to educate Albertans on the importance of the vaccine. It's an outbreak of infection and dismay, as the disease was once declared eradicated from the province, thanks to a robust vaccination campaign in the 90s that saw 95 per cent of the community immunized against the virus. It's a vaccine-preventable disease — 'the vaccine prevents the individual from contracting the disease,' according to Dr. Craig Jenne, infectious disease specialist, and in turn also protects others who aren't able to get the vaccine. The list of vaccine-preventable diseases is long — The World Health Organization lists 25 diseases for which vaccines are available — but the impact of vaccines can vary, from being able to mitigate symptoms to being able to eradicate a virus from a community. 'COVID or influenza for example, those vaccines may not be able to block infection but they do significantly reduce risk of hospitalization,' Jenne said. It's as obvious as it sounds — with a couple of caveats. A vaccine-preventable disease can be prevented by taking a vaccine, usually before infection, but for some, even after, if the infection was immediate. The effect of a vaccine can range, according to Jenne, from reducing, if not fully preventing, the chance of severe disease to preventing infection altogether. The influenza virus for example can also be found in animals and mutates frequently, rendering a single vaccine ineffective at preventing it entirely. But vaccines can still be effective at mitigating the symptoms of the virus. 'New variants pop up that that are pretty good at dodging the full protection of the vaccine,' Jenne said. 'Yet ongoing clinical studies show that people that are vaccinated and have received updated vaccines remain protected, at least largely, against hospital admission, ICU admission and death. So that says that they're still working.' 'They're preventing the disease but they're maybe not preventing infection altogether.' Measles on the other hand is a preventable disease, as it only passes between humans and does not mutate, rendering two doses of the measles mumps and rubella vaccine enough to secure lifelong immunization. According to the World Health Organization, there are currently 25 diseases for which vaccines have been created with a range of abilities to either mitigate a virus' severity or prevent infection altogether. Not all diseases with a vaccine are eradicable. It depends on the nature of the virus and on community action taken to immunize against the virus. For one, the virus has to be a human-only disease, Jenne said. 'Influenza lives in ducks and geese and birds and cats … it's almost impossible to vaccinate everything on the planet to stop infection. So we will always see influenza coming back.' A disease like Hepatitis B that only lives in humans and doesn't mutate frequently could conceivably be eradicated, but only if there is a 'strong community uptake' of the vaccine, according to Dr. Zahra Shajani, associate dean for the University of Calgary's nursing faculty's undergraduate program. 'For a disease to be eradicated, you need community support where you need everybody to take the vaccine and be able to boost themselves or get immune,' she said. Yes. Smallpox was a human disease caused by the variola virus and a global vaccination campaign rendered the disease eradicated by 1980. 'Many of us are not immunized against smallpox and that's because it doesn't exist anymore,' Jenne said. 'It doesn't live on our planet except in a handful of freezers, in extremely secure labs. It does not circulate … as a result, I'm not vaccinated but I still don't get that illness anymore.' Because of the immense complications and effort to rally communities across the globe to be vaccinated against the disease. 'This includes a lot of rural and underdeveloped areas where they can be a lot of hesitancy for international aid, international vaccine programs,' Jenne said. 'So it has become unfortunately quite political.' The wild poliovirus for example, was almost eradicated by the 1980s and currently is only endemic to two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan. However in recent years, polio cases have been discovered in Angola, Gaza and even the U.S. in 2022, due to globally declining vaccination rates. Unlike COVID-19 or influenza, the measles virus has remained largely consistent throughout the decades, which removes the need to frequently create a new vaccine to fight it. Two doses, either doled out during childhood or as an adult is enough to ensure immunization for life. Measles is also a human disease, which means that in the hypothetical scenario wherein everyone was vaccinated against the virus, it would not longer be able to spread and could be eradicated entirely. The proof of the pudding lies in the the robust vaccination campaign of the 90s wherein 95 per cent of individuals in a community were immunized against the virus. By 1998, measles was declared eradicated from country, with few cases popping up sporadically in the years since. However declining vaccination rates, especially in rural communities, have brought back the infection, leading to the current outbreak. The list is short, according to Shajani. While some diseases are only human-transferable, their vaccines are not lifelong and need to be taken every few years to maintain immunity. Tetanus, for example, requires a shot every 10 years to maintain immunity against the disease. 'You need multiple doses or boosters,' Shajani said. Few diseases like mumps, rubella, measles, chickenpox and pertussis require only one or two shots to maintain lifelong immunity. Measles is among the most infectious of the lot, with a reproduction number of 12 to 18, which means that on average one infected person will infect 12 to 18 other people in the community with no immunity. Mumps and chickenpox, while not considered as contagious as measles, are also highly infectious diseases with reproduction numbers of approximately 10. Pertussis, better known as whooping cough, has a reproduction number of 15 to 17 and has been showing up in Alberta, due to declining vaccination rates. 'Last year we had hundreds of cases of whooping cough in Alberta,' Jenne said, noting that in the past, a busy year for the disease would have seen about 100 to 150 cases. 'We're seeing a large resurgence of these vaccine preventable illnesses.' Nothing is as effective and as easy as getting a vaccine, Jenne and Shajani say. An N-95 mask worn properly can 'dramatically reduce the spread of measles,' Jenne said, as it is an airborne virus. 'They have to be worn properly with a tight seal around our nose and mouth. The ability to do that properly without training, without supervision, is actually very difficult.' For diseases that are water-borne, vigilant sanitation and hygiene practices like washing hands and staying away from contaminated areas, when possible, can help reduce risk of infection, according to Shajani. 'But I honestly think vaccines are the best way. Because they're such an easy, low-hanging fruit,' she said. Despite subsisting on a nutritious diet and practicing proper sanitation, a person can still get sick, she added. 'Vaccines prevent outbreaks, they build immunity and herd community infrastructure.'
Calgary Herald
5 days ago
- Health
- Calgary Herald
Everything you need to know about a vaccine-preventable diseases
For months, Alberta's doctors have chimed over and over again: Get vaccinated against the measles. Article content As cases have surpassed 1,000, leading to a higher likelihood of severe symptoms and possible fatalities, the chime has grown louder, accompanied by province-wide campaigns to educate Albertans on the importance of the vaccine. Article content Article content It's an outbreak of infection and dismay, as the disease was once declared eradicated from the province, thanks to a robust vaccination campaign in the 90s that saw 95 per cent of the community immunized against the virus. Article content Article content It's a vaccine-preventable disease — 'the vaccine prevents the individual from contracting the disease,' according to Dr. Craig Jenne, infectious disease specialist, and in turn also protects others who aren't able to get the vaccine. Article content Article content The list of vaccine-preventable diseases is long — The World Health Organization lists 25 diseases for which vaccines are available — but the impact of vaccines can vary, from being able to mitigate symptoms to being able to eradicate a virus from a community. Article content 'COVID or influenza for example, those vaccines may not be able to block infection but they do significantly reduce risk of hospitalization,' Jenne said. It's as obvious as it sounds — with a couple of caveats. Article content A vaccine-preventable disease can be prevented by taking a vaccine, usually before infection, but for some, even after, if the infection was immediate. Article content Article content The effect of a vaccine can range, according to Jenne, from reducing, if not fully preventing, the chance of severe disease to preventing infection altogether. Article content The influenza virus for example can also be found in animals and mutates frequently, rendering a single vaccine ineffective at preventing it entirely. But vaccines can still be effective at mitigating the symptoms of the virus. Article content 'New variants pop up that that are pretty good at dodging the full protection of the vaccine,' Jenne said. Article content 'Yet ongoing clinical studies show that people that are vaccinated and have received updated vaccines remain protected, at least largely, against hospital admission, ICU admission and death. So that says that they're still working.' Article content 'They're preventing the disease but they're maybe not preventing infection altogether.'
Calgary Herald
24-06-2025
- Health
- Calgary Herald
Alberta measles cases surpass 1,000
Article content The number of measles cases in Alberta has surpassed 1,000. Article content Experts have said that on average, there can be one to two deaths for every 1,000 cases of measles. Article content Article content 'The more patients you have, the more likely it is, unfortunately you will have somebody lose their life,' said Dr. Craig Jenne, infectious disease specialist. 'So unfortunately, we are in that realm now where we would expect to see perhaps the loss of life here in the province.' Article content Article content As of Tuesday, there are 1,065 cases in the province, 700 of which are in the south zone, 231 in the north, 105 in the central, 20 in Calgary and nine in Edmonton. Article content Article content According to the province, one person is reported to be in the ICU due to measles. Article content Jenne said he has heard from colleagues stories about a dozen or more patients visiting the ICU. 'These are people needing help breathing, for example,' he said. Article content But even if an individual is not hospitalized, measles is a 'rough disease' and can compound other problems. 'If you contract another virus or have another medical condition, getting treatment and care can be difficult,' he said. 'And if you're infectious with measles, you can't just walk into a hospital and be seen as any other patient. We have to go through infection control measures.' Article content Article content 'Measles reprograms or resets the immune system,' he said, which means those who have contracted the virus could be more susceptible to infections common in the fall season, such as the flu or RSV. Article content 'There will be lasting effects from people that have had the measles . . . their body's not quite the same,' he added. Article content Article content A CBC report published on June 20 found that 20 cases of measles have been confirmed in pregnant women and fewer than five cases of congenital measles, wherein the disease is passed on from a pregnant individual to a fetus, have been confirmed.
Calgary Herald
18-06-2025
- Health
- Calgary Herald
Alberta is 39 cases away from hitting the four-digit number for measles outbreak
As of Wednesday Alberta has reported 961 cases of the measles, 39 cases away from hitting 1,000. Article content Experts say that once the count hits four-digits, the risk of fatalities reported from the virus becomes almost certain. Article content Article content The only other province to report cases in the four-digits so far has been Ontario, which has reported over 2,000 cases of the infection, since first reporting an outbreak in October 2024. Article content Article content Craig Jenne, infectious diseases expert said that adjusting for per capita, 'the measles outbreak in Alberta is bigger than elsewhere in Canada,' including Ontario. Article content Article content 'They've been fighting this virus since October of last year,' he said in late May. 'So in a matter of the first week of March to today, we've eclipsed Ontario.' Article content Ontario first reported reaching four-digit counts in March, five months after the outbreak was first reported in the eastern province, while Alberta is now days away from reporting the same, three months after the outbreak was first reported. Jenne added that the reported cases are usually lower than the actual number of infections, often due to many infected individuals choosing to be treated at home. Article content Cases have long been concentrated in the province's south zone, where 665 cases have currently been reported, followed by 166 in the north zone, 105 in central and 6 and 19 in Edmonton and Calgary respectively. Article content Article content The virus has especially affected children and teenagers, with 442 cases reported in Albertans aged five to 17 years and 276 in Albertans aged five and below. Article content No deaths have been reported as yet, but according to Dr. Daniel Gregson, an infectious disease expert with the University of Calgary, the odds of a fatality from the measles are one in 1,000 cases, higher for children younger than five years. Article content Complications from measles, he added in an interview last week, could arise immediately or years after acquiring the infection. Article content 'Even after the measles infection, you're at a higher risk of developing some viral or bacterial infections,' he said. 'So there's this ongoing sort of immunocompromised state that occurs after measles.' Article content Children at younger ages are at higher risk of death from diarrhea, encephalitis and brain infectons, he said. 'The younger you are, the smaller your airways. So measles can cause inflammation in the airways and if your airways are smaller, you can have difficulties breathing.'
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Alberta's measles outbreaks are now the worst in nearly half a century
Alberta's measles surge is so dramatic, the last time case counts were higher Calgary did not have an NHL team, O Canada was not yet the official national anthem and gasoline would set you back 24 cents a litre. The province reported 29 more cases on Thursday, bringing the total since the outbreaks began in March to 868. That pushes the province past the levels seen during a surge in 1986, when 854 cases were reported. A higher case count hasn't been recorded since 1979. "It's a little shocking. The numbers we're looking at now today really haven't been seen in Alberta since the 1970s," said Craig Jenne, a professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary. "[We're] really going back to an era where the vaccine program really was just getting started. We're going back to, really, pre-vaccination times here in Alberta," he said. While there had been earlier versions of a measles vaccine, Alberta launched its routine immunization program for a single dose of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine in 1982. According to the Public Agency of Canada, the rollout of the single MMR dose took place across the country between 1974 and 1983. Two doses of the vaccine became routine between 1996 and 1997. "By the time we got into the early 1980s, for the most part most children in Canada were vaccinated and measles became a thing largely of the past," said Jenne, who's also the deputy director of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases. "There were years with significant outbreaks, including 1986, but as the numbers reveal today we've eclipsed even those outbreaks. So we really have thrown the province back into a situation where we're looking much like Canada did before we had open access to measles vaccines." According to the Alberta government, the highest recorded measles case count was in 1957, when 12,337 cases were reported. Health officials are cautioning that this year's official case count is just the "tip of the iceberg" and that there are cases in the province going unreported and undetected. The south, central and north zones continue to be the hardest hit. A standing measles exposure advisory remains in effect for southern Alberta due to widespread transmission. On Thursday, Alberta Health Services also issued a standing advisory for the following locations within the north zone, due to high case numbers and concern about broader transmission: The Hamlet of La Crete St. Theresa General Hospital in Fort Vermilion Northwest Health Centre in High Level "Unfortunately we've seen this threshold coming now for several weeks when we had seen the establishment of community level transmission, where vaccine rates simply aren't high enough to stop community spread," said Jenne. As of June 7, a total of 75 Albertans had been hospitalized due to measles since the outbreaks began, including 12 people who ended up in intensive care. The vast majority of cases have been among the unimmunized, according to provincial data. Alberta is offering an early and extra measles vaccine dose to babies as young as six months old who are living in the south, central and north zones. Measles can lead to serious complications including pneumonia, brain inflammation, premature delivery and death. Children under the age of five, pregnant Albertans and those with weakened immune systems are the most vulnerable. Measles symptoms include: High fever. Cough. Runny nose. Red eyes. A 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. 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.
