SUNDRE – Once considered effectively eradicated, measles has been rearing its head with cases all over North America including in Alberta.
While there has been no deaths in Alberta and a provincewide outbreak has not been declared, as of May 16, there has been a total of 438 confirmed cases reported by the provincial government since March, Of those infected, the majority were not immunized.
“It’s hard for us to see, because measles was really on the verge of being eradicated,” said Dr. Jonathan Somerville, who is on the team of doctors with the Greenwood Family Physicians and also works at the Myron Thompson Health Centre.
Somerville attributed the trend reversal to false information that has spread not unlike the highly-contagious virus.
“Because of misinformation and distrust, the uptake of measles vaccination has gone down to the point where we’ve lost some of that herd immunity and now we’re starting to see outbreaks,” he said.
“I think the devastating thing about this is that the measles vaccine is very safe, and it’s because of disinformation that’s been circulated for many years now that led to people avoiding a treatment that can prevent hospitalization, can prevent major illness and can prevent some of the side effects of measles involved, like damage to the lungs and to the brain ... really for no good reason,” he elaborated.
“I would say it’s tragic.”
Young children who have not yet received the two-dose vaccination series that is typically administered at the ages of 12 and 18 months are especially vulnerable to the highly-contagious and airborne virus, he said.
“It’s one of the most contagious illnesses that we know about,” he said.
Exacerbating the situation is how easily the bug spreads as people who are infected are contagious up to five days before symptoms such as the tell-tale rash begin to present, he said.
“The trouble with measles is you’re contagious a long time before the symptoms start,” he said.
“We’re certainly concerned,” he said, adding that steering clear of the disease is all but impossible.
“It’s hard to avoid measles exposure if you have young children who are under a year old and haven’t had a chance to be vaccinated yet.”
Asked if he would advise parents or guardians to get themselves and their children immunized if they haven’t already done so, he without hesitation or reservation promptly replied: “Yes.”
“As long as you get that initial series, then you’re good,” he added.
Responding to the decades-old claims peddled by disgraced former doctor Andrew Wakefield who back in the 1990s falsely linked vaccines and autism, Somerville said, “That’s just never been proven.”
Multiple studies have, on the other hand, found the vaccine to be safe and effective.
In a pivot from the provincial government’s previous messaging on immunizations that encouraged Albertans to have a private discussion with their doctors before making their decision, Alberta’s Health Minister Adriana LaGrange has urged people to get vaccinated against the measles.
“Getting immunized against measles is the single most important thing you can do to protect your loved ones, yourself, and your community,” she said.
The Alberta Medical Association welcomed the government’s decision to expand access to the measles vaccine as well as to launch a public awareness campaign.
“This is a crucial and much-needed step toward protecting public health,” reads a statement published on May 5.
“Achieving a 95 per cent immunization rate is essential for community protection, and it will take effort and many voices to reach this goal.”
The Alberta NDP said the government took far too long to finally take action to stem the spread of the preventable disease that has rebounded to numbers not seen since the 1980s.
“Alberta’s New Democrats have been demanding action for months and they did nothing,” said Sarah Hoffman, Alberta New Democrat Shadow Minister for Health.
“There is no way things should have been left to get this bad. Waiting for more than 200 infections and people in ICUs to act is a complete failure to protect Albertans from a preventable disease,” Hoffman said in a statement released on May 5.
“This premier campaigns against science and medical experts. This UCP government’s ideology prevented them from doing the right thing for months.”
Albertans can call 1-844-944-3434 for more information on measles, including advice for people experiencing measles symptoms, immunization records assistance, and setting up immunization appointments.
