Farming communities Nineteen cases in rural communities have been confirmed in southern Alberta and more are expected
An outbreak of measles in southern Alberta is directly related to lower than average immunization rates in the region, particularly in several rural areas.
Dr. Vivien Suttorp, south zone medical officer of health with Alberta Health Services, said Nov. 7 that there were 19 confirmed cases in a region stretching across the southern part of the province.
None of the individuals had been immunized, and she expects more cases to appear.
Multiple families have been placed in quarantine in an attempt to limit spread, she said.
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“We know that communities such as Fort Macleod, Coaldale, Coalhurst, Diamond City, Shaughnessy, Nobleford, Iron Springs and Picture Butte have very low immunization rates and those are very much farming communities,” said Suttorp in an interview after an address to the Southern Alberta Council of Public Affairs.
Immunization rates are also lower in and around Taber, Bow Island, Vauxhall and Raymond.
“Many of these are farming communities and individuals working on farms.”
The initial case reported in mid-October involved a school-aged child who attended school in Coaldale and had recently visited the Netherlands.
That country is experiencing its own outbreak with more than 2,000 cases of the same strain now reported, Suttorp said.
Reasons for the low regional immunization rates vary, she added.
“It can be personal choices, and those personal choices can be informed by a multitude of things: misinformation, just basically a personal choice, there’s a lot of fear perhaps out there … there may be some with religious convictions, some with cultural reasons.”
However, access to immunization is not a problem. Suttorp said small communities are well served by regular clinics with extended evening hours.
Children’s immunization is tracked once they reach kindergarten and school age. Parents are informed of their children’s status and have the choice to get them vaccinated.
Up to 30 percent of people who get measles experience further complications, including bacterial infections and pneumonia. A rare few will get encephalitis, which can lead to blindness and deafness.
One or two people per 1,000 in the developed world will die from measles despite receiving medical care.
In contrast, Suttorp said reactions to the measles vaccine are much lower than 30 percent. Millions of doses have been given and all adverse reactions are tracked.
“It’s safe. It’s effective,” she said.
Measles immunization is good for life once administered, but many adults do not know or cannot recall whether they’ve been immunized.
“In general, people born before 1970 have seen the disease. They have natural immunity,” said Suttorp.
Alberta began immunizing with a killed viral vaccine in the 1960s and moved to a live viral vaccine in 1970.
During her presentation, Suttorp was asked whether measles vaccination should be mandatory, given its threat to public health.
She said the question is often debated in public health circles, and immunization is mandatory in some jurisdictions.
Some also employ a system of “declination,” in which people are immunized unless they take specific steps to decline.
“Herd immunity” of 98 percent is required to prevent contagious illness, she said. In southern Alberta, immunity rates are less than 70 percent in some regions.
Low immunization rates are also a concern in the spread of pertussis, also known as whooping cough. Suttorp said a regional outbreak of that illness in 2007 resulted in 97 cases. In 2012, one child in the region died of pertussis.
- Measles are caused by a highly contagious virus.
- They spread through the air, and the virus can remain active in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has been there.
- People can spread measles one to two days before symptoms appear and up to four days after symptoms appear.
- Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, with a rash appearing a few days later.
- The rash may last up to seven days.
- There is no treatment. Some medications can relieve symptoms such as fever and cough.
- Thirty percent of people who get measles will experience further complications including bacterial infection and pneumonia.
- Immunization is the most effective way to prevent measles.
- People born before 1970 likely have immunity.
- Once a person has had measles, they are generally immune.
- Antibiotics are not used to treat or cure measles.
- Measles vaccine is offered free of charge in Alberta.
- The vaccine cannot cause measles.
