EDMONTON — It has been three weeks since the Health Minister and the interim Chief Medical Officer of Health held a press conference to update Albertans on measles and the government’s planned response to a growing number of cases.
No further press conference or update on a more robust measles strategy have followed, even though measles cases have almost tripled since then to well over 500 confirmed cases. The number of hospitalizations have also risen, while the entire south zone of the province was put under an exposure advisory because the high number of cases in the region have rendered contact tracing no longer possible.
“Measles outbreaks are causing cases to skyrocket in Alberta. This should be an all hands-on deck situation. Where is the interim Chief Medical Officer of Health? Where is the Minister? Why aren’t Albertans hearing from them?” said Chris Gallaway executive director of Friends of Medicare. “It’s clear the previously announced public campaign and steps for increased access to immunization in the central and south zones have not been enough to stop the spread in Alberta. We need to see urgent action.”
Measles is a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease, but also entirely preventable through immunization. Rather than waiting for local outbreaks to turn into a widespread provincial outbreak, Alberta should be seeing a robust public health response that expands education and immunization access across all zones of Alberta, immediately. This is the best way to protect Albertans and our public health care system.
“Albertans deserve to know they have a Chief Medical Officer of Health and Public Health Service that are arms-length and rooted in making decisions based on the best science, and that they aren’t being impeded from sharing the best evidence-based information with the public,” said Gallaway. “Instead we’ve seen a revolving door in the Chief Medical Officer of Health’s office, and increasing control over public health in the hands of a government that seems more interested in spending public resources pandering to anti-vaccination rhetoric.”
Albertans are encouraged to call the HealthLink measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 to book an immunization appointment, or to get information about measles or their immunization status.
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