Potential measles exposure alerts issued after confirmed cases in Calgary area and northern Alberta

Alberta Health Services issued advisories on Friday to warn the public about possible exposure to confirmed measles cases in the Calgary area as well as in Fort Vermilion.

Around Calgary, the health agency said someone had been in public while infectious with measles, warning people who visited the Airdrie Superstore on 300 Veterans Boulevard N.E. on March 8 between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. that they may have been exposed.

Anyone who was at the Sky Castle Family Entertainment Centre and cafeteria in the New Horizon Mall in Balzac on March 9 between noon and 3 p.m. may also have been exposed.

Other locations and times for potential exposures include Airdrie Urgent Care on March 11 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and One Health Associate Medical Clinic on March 12 between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Measles is one of the most infectious communicable diseases in the world and spreads easily through the air, leaving health officials concerned about its transmission.

Confirmed cases in northern Alberta

The news comes after health officials warned the public about a measles outbreak in the northern Alberta community of John D'Or Prairie, which is part of the Little Red River Cree Nation. The outbreak includes six confirmed cases.

Little Red River Cree Nation Chief Conroy Sewepagaham said on Friday that all confirmed cases are fully recovered, but the risk of the virus remains. He added that mobile vaccination clinics are offering immunization shots around the community, and will continue to do so into next week.

AHS issued another advisory on Friday notifying the public of several confirmed measles cases near the Fort Vermilion area in northern Alberta. The advisory states people may have been exposed to cases at the St. Theresa General Hospital — including in its emergency department, acute care unit and pediatric unit — dating as far back as Feb. 15 and as recently as March 9.

The full list of dates and times where people may have been exposed to measles in Fort Vermilion can be found here.

AHS responded by setting up drop-in measles immunization clinics in Fort Vermilion and High Level on Saturday.

The health agency says anyone who was born in or after 1970 and has less than two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine is at risk, and they strongly encourage people to review their vaccination records and monitor for symptoms.

Vaccine coverage

To get the kind of coverage needed to limit the spread of measles, University of Calgary professor Craig Jenne says close to 95 per cent of people in communities should be vaccinated.

But Alberta's childhood vaccination rates have dropped in recent years. Provincial data shows that in 2023, 69.3 per cent of Alberta children were fully vaccinated with two doses of the measles vaccine by the age of two. In several parts of the province, the immunization rate was well below 50 per cent.

Jenne, a professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases, partly attributed the decline to hesitancy and vaccine fatigue, but also some vaccination programs being derailed when medical resources were deployed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Parents found it a little harder to get their kids vaccinated on time, on schedule, and we're really still working through that backlog now," Jenne said.

Between Ontario facing its most severe measles outbreak in more than a decade, and Alberta experiencing its deadliest flu season in more than a decade as well as a whooping cough outbreak last year, Jenne says we're not seeing enough vaccine coverage to protect against preventable diseases.

He says health authorities need to be clear when emphasizing the effectiveness and safety of treatments like the measles vaccine, and he recommended people look to reliable sources of information to learn more about these shots, like pediatricians, family care providers or walk-in clinics.

The ease of travel, across Canada and internationally, can also create difficulty in monitoring and responding to measles outbreaks. University of Manitoba head of pediatric infectious diseases Jared Bullard noted cases have thus far been reported around Canada and south of the border, with an outbreak in Texas.

"Measles is really one plane ride away, and all it takes is for us to go to some place elsewhere in the world and we can bring measles back pretty easily," Bullard said.

He added that because many people haven't seen measles outbreaks in years, the lack of a living memory can make it difficult to communicate just how dangerous and contagious the disease is.

"People haven't seen it, so they don't know. And that even holds true for a number of health-care providers. They haven't necessarily seen measles, so they don't think about it," Bullard said.

"We're trying to say if you see a fever, a cough, red eyes and a rash that starts on your head and goes all the way down your body … you really have to think about measles."

While Jenne says now isn't a time to panic, he notes it is a good reminder to be vigilant in keeping up with vaccinations, even if people are feeling frustrated or tired after the COVID-19 pandemic and more recent concerns with bird flu.

"It's really hard to blame people for frustration or fatigue," Jenne said 

"Sadly, the viruses don't care if we're tired or angry or frustrated. They simply take advantage when we let our guard down, and it is a reminder we do have to be vigilant"

Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to measles and develops symptoms should stay home, Jenne advised. He added that people should call Health Link first if they're concerned, rather than potentially visiting a doctor's office or hospital while infectious.