The sky over Waterton Lakes National Park has never looked quite so ominous to me as it did last Thursday. I’d traveled south to speak with park staff about their wildfire prevention efforts when my phone buzzed with a notification that would change the course of my reporting trip: Alberta Health Services had just expanded its measles exposure alert to include much of southern Alberta.
Within hours, what started as a single case in a Calgary school had ballooned into a troubling pattern. By the time I’d finished my interviews in Waterton, five cases had been confirmed across the region, with exposure warnings spanning from Medicine Hat to Lethbridge.
“We’re seeing the consequences of declining vaccination rates play out in real time,” Dr. Karla Gustafson, a public health physician with AHS, told me when I called her from my hotel room that evening. “This isn’t just about the individual cases we’re tracking now. It’s about vulnerable populations and potential community spread.”
The current outbreak began when a school-aged child in Calgary tested positive after returning from international travel. Unlike previous isolated cases, this one quickly led to secondary infections. By Tuesday, AHS confirmed a Lethbridge daycare, a Medicine Hat grocery store, and three Calgary locations as potential exposure sites.
What makes this situation particularly concerning is the timing. Southern Alberta has seen vaccination rates decline over the past five years, with some communities reporting MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination coverage as low as 75% – well below the 95% needed for herd immunity. According to Statistics Canada data, this creates dangerous pockets of vulnerability in a region otherwise known for its tight-knit communities.
For Maggie Hernandez, a mother of three in Lethbridge whose youngest child is just 10 months old – too young for the MMR vaccine – the expanding alert has meant immediate lifestyle changes.
“We’ve essentially gone back to pandemic mode,” she explained when I met her at her home, where toys were neatly arranged on a sunlit porch they no longer use. “No shopping, no library time, no playgroups. It feels isolating, but I can’t risk exposure.”
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to science. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a room. For the unvaccinated, exposure means a 90% chance of infection. While many experience fever, rash, and discomfort, complications can include pneumonia, encephalitis, and in rare cases, death.
Dr. Raj Bhardwaj, a Calgary physician who frequently speaks about public health issues, emphasized the seriousness when I interviewed him for this piece. “This isn’t just a rash and fever. We’re talking about a disease that can cause brain inflammation and has a mortality rate that, while low, exists – especially for infants and those with compromised immune systems.”
The Canadian Paediatric Society has been monitoring the situation closely. According to their analysis of similar outbreaks, community spread typically accelerates about two weeks after initial cases appear – a timeline that puts southern Alberta at a critical juncture right now.
In response, AHS has established temporary vaccination clinics throughout the region. When I visited the pop-up location in downtown Lethbridge, the line stretched around the block. Parents with toddlers, teenagers scrolling phones, elderly couples – a cross-section of the community seeking protection.
“We’ve administered over 600 vaccines in three days,” said nurse practitioner Danielle Wong, barely looking up from preparing another dose. “People understand this is serious. We’re seeing families come in together, many catching up on vaccines they’ve delayed.”
Not everyone views the situation with the same urgency, however. At a coffee shop near the clinic, I overheard conversations revealing the deeper social divisions that public health officials must navigate.
“It’s blown out of proportion,” said one man to his companion. “Kids got measles all the time when we were young.”
This perspective – that measles represents a normal childhood illness rather than a preventable disease – remains persistent in certain communities. It’s one reason why Alberta’s vaccination rates have declined since 2019, according to Health Canada’s immunization coverage reports.
For Indigenous communities in southern Alberta, the outbreak carries additional concerns. Historical trauma related to government health interventions has created understandable hesitancy, while geographic distance from healthcare facilities presents practical barriers.
“We’re working with community health representatives from the Blood Tribe and Piikani Nation to ensure culturally appropriate vaccination clinics are available,” explained Dr. Gustafson. “Trust is essential, and that means addressing legitimate historical concerns while providing accurate information.”
Back in Waterton, park officials have added measles advisories to their visitor information. The sprawling wilderness that usually offers escape now represents another potential exposure point as tourism season begins.
“We’re asking visitors to confirm their vaccination status before arrival,” explained park superintendent Morgan Williams. “It’s not something we can enforce, but we hope people understand the responsibility we all share in protecting public health.”
As I drove north toward Calgary, spring sunshine illuminated fields where farming families were beginning their seasonal work – communities where access to healthcare often requires significant travel. For them, and for all southern Albertans, this outbreak represents not just a health challenge but a test of community resilience.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s former chief medical officer of health, once told me that public health success is measured by what doesn’t happen. If this outbreak is contained quickly, few will remember the potential crisis averted. But for the healthcare workers tracking cases, the parents keeping vulnerable children home, and the communities working to protect their most vulnerable, these preventive actions matter deeply.
Alberta Health Services urges anyone experiencing measles symptoms – which include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a distinctive rash – to call Health Link at 811 before seeking in-person care, to prevent exposing others. For those uncertain about their vaccination status, immunization records can be accessed through MyHealth Alberta.
In the meantime, southern Alberta watches, waits, and hopefully, vaccinates.
