The measles outbreak is setting off alarm bells in Canada

Canada is seeing a resurgence of measles, which had been declared eradicated in the country in 1998. The disease has reached provinces across the country such as Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. However, the situation is particularly acute in Alberta. Health authorities in the western province have recorded 1,314 cases since early March. That’s more than the whole of the United States, which registered 1,288 cases in the same period, while Alberta’s population represents just 1.46% of that of its southern neighbor.

So far, the outbreak in Alberta has not resulted in any deaths, although the provincial government has reported 102 hospitalizations. In Ontario, a premature baby died from the disease in early June. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends “monitoring for the appearance of symptoms up to 21 days after possible exposure,” and recommends that travelers be more informed about the risks of contracting this disease in areas or countries they plan to visit. In this regard, the Stampede festival, held in early July in Calgary, this year urged people to avoid bringing infants and other vulnerable populations. This event, the largest rodeo and country music event in Canada, attracted 1.4 million people this year during its 10 days of activities.

However, health officials continue to insist that the best protection against measles is provided by vaccinations. Experts have noted that the outbreak in Alberta emerged in rural areas where vaccination rates have declined in recent years, slowly spreading to urban centers, where vaccinations have also declined. Craig Jenne, a professor of immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary, told CBC News that herd immunity requires a vaccination rate of at least 95%, but that in this province it has fallen below 50%. “Unfortunately, that’s what we’re seeing in Alberta, and vaccine rates are simply too low to stop that spread,” he noted.

Experts point out that the decline in vaccination rates in Canada can be explained primarily by fear of inoculations, as claims (disproven by science) that they can trigger other illnesses continue to spread, especially on social media. Researchers point out that a certain amount of fatigue caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has also been a significant factor.

A study published in The Lancet a few weeks ago showed that global vaccine coverage has stagnated or even declined. The document indicates that this trend is also being seen in wealthy countries, as demonstrated by the resurgence of serious diseases. Canada and the United States are reflecting this. Measles cases in the United States have reached their highest peak in 33 years. The outbreak, which has occurred primarily in Texas, has already caused three deaths. The disease was officially declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000.

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