With members of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) calling on the UCP government to do more to address the worse measles outbreak in the province in living memory, residents are watching closely to see what measures will and will not be taken.
Whether premier Smith and her government colleagues are prepared to take the drastic action being urged by the health-care providers remains to be seen.
What is known is that with the 2025-26 school year just around the corner, the stakes for Alberta’s young people couldn’t be higher.
Measles is a contagious disease that is spread through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It is sometimes called rubeola or red measles.
There are more than 1,400 confirmed cases of measles in the province, including 100-plus in the central zone. And more than 1,000 of the provincial cases were in the 17-year-old and younger age groups.
For their part, the physicians say urgent action needs to be taken without delay. Some doctors are now calling on the Smith government to consider requiring proof of immunization.
“There’s no doubt that this is an epidemic,” said Dr. James Talbot, a former chief medical officer of health for Alberta. “Worse, there can be no doubt that it’s still not under control.
“The best time to do it (further efforts) is now. Don’t wait for the start of the school year. Do it now so they’re protected when the school year starts. That’s the most important back-to-school preparation you can do, even more important than buying a back-pack or lunchbox.”
The physicians are also calling on the government to allow babies as young as six months old to be given access to early and extra vaccine doses.
With tens of thousands of Alberta young people set to return to classes in a month’s time, the ongoing measles outbreak is rightly a concern for parents and caregivers across the province.
Whether the Smith government will meet this serious public health challenge remains to be seen.
Dan Singleton is an editor with the Albertan.
