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Alberta Premier Daniel Smith says Canada's recent loss of measles elimination status is concerning, but her government may not have many other options to help regain it.
Smith, at an unrelated news conference in Calgary, said the highly contagious disease is difficult to control, especially since people can travel freely from province to province or to Alberta from around the world.
“I think everyone needs to be vigilant and make sure this disease doesn't spread,” Smith said Friday.
“That's why we made sure that everyone knew when an outbreak occurred or when a case was identified, we set [it] on our website so they can see exactly where they are and assess their own level of risk. [and] if they saw the symptoms, [were] opportunity to immediately solve this problem.”
While nearly every province has reported cases of measles this year, Alberta and Ontario lead the nation in total cases. There have been nearly 2,000 cases in Alberta since March, and nearly 2,400 confirmed and probable cases in Ontario since fall 2024.
More than 150 people are hospitalized in Alberta. The province reported its first death last month when a baby died shortly after birth after the mother contracted measles during pregnancy.
Pan American Health Organization announced on Monday it revoked Canada's measles elimination status after nearly three decades because cases of the same strain had been circulating for more than a year.
To regain status, Canada needs at least one year of no transmission of the same strain.
Smith points to the vaccination campaign
Smith said her government has done everything it can to try to slow the spread since the outbreak began in Alberta and pointed to the progress of the province's vaccination campaign.
She noted that many of the nearly 2,000 cases reported in Alberta this year have occurred in certain communities with lower vaccination rates, such as the Mennonite and Hutterite communities.
She said the province has targeted its vaccination campaign to those areas and has seen its rollout increase by 50 per cent in some areas.
Asked what Alberta can do to help Canada regain its status, Smith pointed to the vaccination campaign.
“[Measles] can have devastating consequences, especially for young children,” Smith said. “So we want everyone to know that [vaccines are] accessible.”
Alberta's former chief medical officer of health says he's “sad” and “a little angry” that Canada has lost its measles elimination status and, with it, lost face internationally.
Opposition NDP health critic Sarah Hoffman told reporters the United Conservative government a year ago should have ensured Alberta had a permanent chief medical officer of health and made sure that person could speak publicly so everyone could get the information they needed.
Technically, Alberta has not had a permanent chief medical officer since 2022, when Smith made good on a campaign promise to fire Dr. Deena Hinshaw over dissatisfaction with COVID-19 health measures.
Dr. Mark Joffe served in the position on an interim basis until last spring, deciding to leave when his contract expired. Soon after, the province appointed Dr. Sunil Sukram as interim successor.
“The best day to act would have been over a year ago. The second best day is today, and we still don't have a permanent chief health officer,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman also noted that the NDP is calling for increased awareness of tuberculosis. Health officials declared a tuberculosis outbreak in Edmonton this week after laboratory tests in October confirmed two people were infected with the same strain, suggesting local transmission.
“Vaccinations against tuberculosis, measles, COVID – this used to be the government’s main job of providing people with information. [and] has removed barriers for people who want to get vaccinated,” Hoffman said.
