Alberta measles cases remain at zero, but doctor warns outbreak risk looms within a year

Alberta has recorded no measles cases since June, but a pediatric infectious diseases physician at the Stollery Children's Hospital says the province is far from safe.

Joan Robinson warned that low vaccination rates in some areas mean Alberta will likely see an outbreak within the next year or two. "There's a major concern that we will start to see cases again, and that is because our immunization rate in this province, especially in some areas, is pathetically low," Robinson said.

Alberta's outbreak began in March 2025 and has since recorded 2,325 measles cases — the second-highest count in the country behind Ontario with 2,390. Canada lost its measles elimination status in fall 2025 after the disease was first eliminated in 1998.

The outbreak began in New Brunswick in October 2024 and spread across the country predominantly among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated individuals. Robinson stressed how contagious measles is, saying all it takes is one introduction into a community with low immunization rates for the disease to "spread like wildfire" as it did in March 2025.

A statement from the provincial health ministry said measles continues to circulate internationally and in other areas of Canada. "No new measles cases have been reported in Alberta for several weeks, and there is currently no evidence of ongoing community transmission," a spokesperson said, adding that public health officials continue monitoring disease activity.

Canada can regain its measles elimination status once transmission stops for at least 12 consecutive months. Health Canada said it is working with federal partners and provincial and territorial governments to strengthen surveillance and support vaccination initiatives.