Albertans at risk concerned and attentive to measles

While the emergence of measles in Alberta continues to expand. Meanwhile, some of those who are more at risk take more precautions while summer events are in full swing.

EDMONTONNIAN Carla Jacobson At four children, including a year and a newborn baby. Furthermore, The one of a year received only one of the two doses of the measles vaccine. Consequently, the baby will have to wait until months before having the first dose.

It’s a bit frightening, that’s for sure.

Cases of measles have been increasingly increasing in Alberta since March. Furthermore, On Friday, 1407 cases had been reported through the province since the start of the hatch.

This high number of cases makes Carla Jacobson More attentive to what his family of six will do this summer.

I don’t really need to go to the shopping center.. Nevertheless, We have a lot to do outside, and we don’t even need to go to a water play park.

She plans to avoid festivals like Taste of Edmonton et Kdayswhich attract thousands of people.

Avoid large gatherings

It’s a similar story for Barry Gibson of Stony Plainwest of Edmonton.

In 2021, he received a diagnosis of blood cancer, multiple myeloma. Furthermore, His treatment includes a stem cell transplant which destroyed his immunity. However, While he was able to receive other vaccines again. Moreover, this was not the case for measles, because it is a attenuated living virus vaccine.

So. in addition to being immunocompromised, which puts you in greater danger, I am not immune to this particular disease […] It makes me very nervous.

Barry Gibson was able to interrupt his treatments in July thanks to laboratory results. albertans risk concerned attentive measles can thus visit the family in Manitoba. When he returns to Alberta, he plans to take more precautions.

Although his doctors suggested to him to wear a mask when there are large crowds. the Alberta says that he is not ready to take this risk and that he plans to avoid major gatherings and summer events.

I will not go to the Fringing or Edmonton Folk Festival. I just can’t imagine being sitting on Gallagher Hill with these hundreds and thousands of people all around me.

Her son offered to give him a ticket for a match Oilersbut he declined.

If I had a feeling. it would be the disappointment that our current society, I attribute a large part to responsibility to social networks, seems ready to believe albertans risk concerned attentive measles things that are not necessarily scientifically exact.

Vulnerable

A specialist in infectious diseases, Dr. Stan Houstonexplains that newborns and young people who are not vaccinated are particularly vulnerable to the serious consequences of measles. These depend on collective immunity, he says.

Pregnant women. young children must or should be very cautious when they go out, especially in southern Alberta, where the transmission rates are the highest.

The doctor specifies that vulnerable people cannot fight the virus.

All these risks that you hear about. pneumonia, encephalitis and death are much more common in a wide range of different degrees of immune suppression.

If he does not want to advise people to hide at home, he says that a thing to do is to make sure that other people in the home are immune.

Dr. Stan Houston Add that respiratory viruses are less well outside. Outdoor festivals would be the least risky places. albertans risk concerned attentive measles While going to a bar with a low ceiling in winter, when everything is closed, would be much more contagious.

In a declaration at CBC/Radio-Canada. the Ministry of Primary and Preventive Care said that large-scale events could potentially increase the risk of exposure to respiratory viruses, including measles.

We continue to recommend any person participating in large rallies to ensure that their vaccines are up to date. to practice good hand hygiene and to stay at home in case of illness. These are the same precautions that we have always encouraged to help reduce the spread of measles.

The ministry adds that the vaccination rates in Calgary and albertans risk concerned attentive measles Edmonton are raised, and that in Thursday, there had been no confirmed or likely case linked to the Stampede.

With information from Julia Wong