The clock on my dashboard read 6:30 AM as I pulled into the nearly empty parking lot of the Calgary public health clinic. Dr. Nisha Patel had agreed to meet me before her shift started – a rare window of calm before what would undoubtedly be another chaotic day managing Alberta’s growing measles crisis.
“Five years ago, this would have been unthinkable,” Dr. Patel told me, gesturing to a color-coded map of Alberta on her office wall, red pins marking confirmed cases. “We declared measles eliminated in Canada in 1998. Now I’m seeing multiple cases weekly.”
Alberta has recorded 27 measles cases since January – a startling surge for a disease once considered vanquished in North America. The outbreak, which began in the Edmonton region, has now spread to Calgary and several rural communities, triggering alerts from both Canadian and American health authorities.
What makes this outbreak particularly concerning is how quickly it’s growing. Alberta typically sees fewer than five measles cases annually, mostly travel-related. The current cluster represents the province’s largest outbreak in over two decades.
“The virus doesn’t respect borders,” explained Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, during our phone interview last week. “With regular travel between Alberta and neighboring states, we’re working closely with American counterparts to limit spread.”
Those concerns appear well-founded. Montana health officials confirmed three cases linked to Alberta travelers, while Washington state is monitoring several suspected cases with Canadian connections.
Walking through the clinic’s waiting room, now being prepared for the day’s vaccination appointments, I noticed the fatigue in the eyes of the nurses setting up. One of them, Maria Kovach, has worked in public health for 17 years.
“People forget how serious measles can be,” she said, arranging information pamphlets. “It’s not just a rash. Before vaccines, it killed millions worldwide. One in five children who get it end up hospitalized.”
The Alberta outbreak reflects a worrying global trend. The World Health Organization reported a 79% increase in measles cases worldwide in 2023 compared to 2022. The organization cited declining vaccination rates as the primary driver behind these increases.
Alberta’s vaccination statistics tell part of the story. Provincial data shows MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination rates have dropped from 91.4% in 2015 to approximately 85% today for two-year-olds. Public health experts consider 95% coverage necessary for “herd immunity” – the threshold that prevents community spread.
Dr. Daniel Gregson, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Calgary, attributes the decline to multiple factors. “We’re seeing the impact of pandemic-related disruptions to routine vaccination schedules, combined with growing vaccine hesitancy fueled by misinformation online.”
Outside the clinic, I met Sarah Johnston, a mother of three waiting for it to open. Her youngest, four-year-old Ella, was scheduled for her second MMR dose.
“I moved her appointment up after hearing about the outbreak,” Sarah explained, Ella clutching a stuffed dinosaur beside her. “My sister’s family in Medicine Hat had measles sweep through their neighborhood. Her neighbor’s baby was hospitalized – only six months old, too young for the vaccine.”
Sarah’s urgency reflects the real-world impact of what health officials call “immunity gaps” – pockets of unvaccinated or under-vaccinated individuals where the virus can gain foothold.
These gaps exist throughout Alberta but are particularly pronounced in certain communities. Data from Alberta Health Services shows vaccination rates as low as 70% in some rural areas and specific urban neighborhoods.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, former Chief Medical Officer of Health for Alberta, described the challenge during our coffee meeting in Edmonton. “We’re seeing clustering of unvaccinated individuals in communities where vaccine skepticism has taken root. When measles enters these populations, it spreads rapidly.”
The economic impact is substantial too. Each case requires extensive contact tracing, quarantine measures, and potential treatment costs. The Calgary Catholic School District temporarily closed two schools last month after exposures, affecting hundreds of families who had to arrange childcare or take time off work.
Alberta Health Services has responded by opening weekend vaccination clinics and deploying mobile vaccination units to communities with low coverage. Officials have also launched a multilingual public awareness campaign emphasizing the safety and effectiveness of the MMR vaccine.
“We’re trying to make vaccination as accessible as possible,” explained Dr. Mark Joffe, Alberta’s current Chief Medical Officer of Health. “No appointment necessary, extended hours, and we’re working with community leaders to address specific concerns in hesitant groups.”
The cross-border dimension adds complexity. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory for Alberta last week, recommending American visitors ensure their vaccinations are up-to-date before traveling to the province.
Back at the clinic, now bustling with morning patients, Dr. Patel showed me her scheduling app – fully booked with vaccination appointments for the next three weeks.
“If there’s a silver lining,” she said, “it’s that outbreaks often remind people why we vaccinate in the first place. We’re seeing many families who delayed or questioned vaccines now coming in urgently.”
That urgency is warranted. The Alberta government projects the outbreak could worsen through summer travel season, potentially reaching 50-60 cases by September if vaccination rates don’t improve significantly.
As I left the clinic, I watched parents arriving with children in tow, some looking anxious, others determined. A father carrying his infant daughter held the door open for me.
“Never thought we’d be dealing with measles again,” he said. “My grandmother used to tell stories about friends she lost to it as a child. Seems like we’re going backward sometimes.”
His words lingered as I drove away. For a disease we once conquered, measles’ resurgence serves as a stark reminder: public health victories are never permanent without vigilance and collective action.
