Measles hot spot: Taber among southern Alberta towns facing crisis

Alberta has seen another alarming jump in measles cases, with 36 reported in the past 24 hours. Almost two-thirds of them were in the province’s south zone.

The small town of Taber is widely known for its agricultural roots – particularly its corn – but recent talk around town has been focused on an outbreak of measles, with southern Alberta emerging as a hot spot for cases.

It comes as the number of measles cases in the province now surpasses the total number of cases across the United States.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) said the province’s South Zone accounts for 817 of the total 1,376 cases in Alberta as of Wednesday, with the risk of widespread exposure so high there is a standing advisory for all communities in the region, which covers the area south of Calgary and includes larger centres like Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

“When it was first showing up, it was shocking and new at that point and now it’s well established,” said Cameron Hazel, a pharmacist at Taber’s Johnson’s Drugs.

“It’s not surprising when someone phones or asking about it or showing up asking about it and how to help their children.

“I’ve had people, seen walk in or around town, their child has a rash and people are still going about their business.”

• Sign up for breaking news alerts from CTV News, right at your fingertips
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Hazel said he and other staff try to educate people on the effectiveness of the measles vaccine when they come into the pharmacy, but said it’s difficult to change people’s views.

“It’s been polarizing in general,” he said. “I think everyone knows where the lines have been drawn and realizes sometimes you can push but people aren’t going to change their mind, so there’s only so much you can say or do.”

Although, he has seen some people express regret for not getting vaccinated after falling ill with the highly contagious virus.

“It’s been a little eye-opening. You made a choice when your child was young not to vaccinate them and I spoke to one person who said that’s probably the worst choice they ever made, but that’s just one.”

‘Sends a negative light’

Experts say 95 per cent of the population needs to be fully vaccinated to achieve herd immunity but according to provincial data, the municipal district of Taber has amongst the lowest vaccination rate for youth children in the province.

According to the latest provincial immunization data, only 28.7 per cent of children in the region has received the recommended two doses of the measles vaccine by the age of two in 2024.

Many in town tell CTV News they believe it’s a combination of religious beliefs in addition to anti-vaccine sentiments that have led to the slow uptick in immunizations.

“It’s unfortunate for our community because people might avoid coming here and that affects businesses and it’s also just negative, sends a negative light on our area,” said Maria Hughes, a parent in Taber.

Christina Joertzen is a part of the Mexican Mennonite community in the region and said she got measles along with her 15-year-old, 12-year-old and seven-year-old in May.

“They had spots but didn’t feel bad, so it was very good. I had four days of fever, but I didn’t have the spots, so it was kind of like a cold. It wasn’t bad for our family. I have two other boys, and my husband didn’t even get it, so it’s nothing to be scared of.”

Measles ‘manageable’, residents say

Agane Friesen and Tina Inis are part of the Mennonite communities and were visiting Taber from Ontario and Mexico.

They said it’s a misconception their faith prevents them from getting vaccinated.

“Some believe it’s good, some believe you better not,” said Friesen who had measles as a child and was never vaccinated.

“My grandkids had measles; they were sick but not that sick.”

Susie Neufeld is a part of the Christian community in town and said she’s not worried about the spread of the virus.

“I feel like it’s just another flu-like symptom that happens and Alberta is making too big of a deal out of it. We’ve had it and it’s manageable,” said Neufeld, who chose not to vaccinate herself or her children.

“I do believe in God, so He is my healer, and I look to Him for my health.”

However, health experts warn that measles poses serious health risks and can be dangerous and in more serious cases can lead to deafness, brain damage and even death.

It is highly contagious and can spread easily through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.

It was once eradicated in Canada, but Alberta is now the second province after Ontario, to surpass the United States cases of measles.

As of Wednesday, there are 1,309 confirmed measles cases in the U.S., 31 less than in Alberta.

“We’re talking about a nation that is 70 to 75 per cent bigger than Alberta and in a matter of a few short months Alberta has caught up to those confirmed cases, I think that’s a stark reminder how quickly and broadly a virus that up to recently had largely been eliminated in Canada has now established a foothold here in Alberta,” said University of Calgary’s Dr. Craig Jenne.

Anti-vaccine sentiment

Darry Gilbert lives in Taber but said he isn’t overly concerned about catching measles because he was vaccinated as a child but is surprised to see how quickly it has spread.

“People don’t get their shots; you get what you get right?”

John O’Brien is from Medicine Hat, which is also included in the standing measles advisory, and believes there’s been an increase in vaccine hesitancy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There’s a lot of people who don’t like vaccinations. All our kids were vaccinated, we were vaccinated, we’re of that generation.”

Patti Jones is from Lethbridge, also part of the standing measles advisory.

“I’m old school. All my kids got vaccinated, not that I have that many – I have two – and so did we when we were younger. It’s sad seeing all these kids are sick, it’s sad.”

The ministry of primary and preventative health services declined an interview with CTV News but said in a statement that Alberta’s government is taking the situation seriously and continues to manage it effectively using existing public health tools such as expanded vaccination clinics and targeted outreach.

“Comparisons to the United States can be misleading, as most U.S. cases this year are concentrated in a single state—Texas. Alberta is the second province to report more measles cases this year than the U.S., where the majority of cases are linked to the outbreak in Texas,” read the statement.

“Measles is rising at different times in various regions, often introduced by travellers, as seen in both Texas and Ontario.”

According to official data, the population of Texas is 31.29 million people while Alberta’s population is approximately 4.2 million.

Measles-containing vaccines are provided free of charge through AHS public health centres.