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3mo ago

Alberta Measles Outbreak Surges Past 1,000 Cases

Authorities have replaced site-specific warnings with a province-wide advisory to address widespread exposure risks

A sign along a side road parallel to Highway 3 reads, “Trudeau’s government demands up to 10 years prison time for Coutts protesters,” across from a shipping container marked Faith Mission, which is collecting used clothing and bicycles, in Taber, Alta., on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. The South Zone, which includes the town, accounts for the majority of Alberta’s confirmed measles cases. (Sarah B. Groot/The Globe and Mail)
This undated image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Feb. 4, 2015, shows an electron microscope image of a measles virus particle, centre.
Measles symptoms can include a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, as well as a blotchy red rash. Complications can include inflammation of the brain, pneumonia and even death.

Overview

  • As of June 20, the province has confirmed 1,020 measles cases this year, exceeding the 1,000-case mark
  • The South Zone accounts for 681 of the cases and prompted the shift to a standing exposure advisory rather than site-by-site alerts
  • Seventy-five people have been hospitalized since January, including 12 who required intensive care and one currently in an ICU bed
  • Taber recorded the province’s lowest MMR vaccination rate at 28.7% for children born in 2022, reflecting entrenched hesitancy
  • Premier Danielle Smith’s public doubts about vaccine efficacy and the rollback of COVID shot coverage have intensified skepticism and hindered uptake