Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says Canada’s recent loss of its measles elimination status is concerning, but her government did what it could to remind people to get vaccinated.
Smith says many of the nearly 2,000 cases of the highly contagious disease reported in Alberta so far this year have been in specific communities with lower vaccination rates.
She says the province’s vaccine campaign has seen some success and, in some areas, saw 50 per cent increases in uptake.
Smith says regaining the elimination status will require everyone to be vigilant and do their part to stop the spread of the disease.
More than 150 people in Alberta have been hospitalized with measles since its outbreak in March, and last month an infant died shortly after being born to a woman who contracted measles during pregnancy.
While measles has been reported in nearly every province this year, Alberta and Ontario have seen the greatest concentration of cases.