Some of the key sections from this analytical piece:
>Experts say it’s tough to pinpoint why measles have spread wider in Canada than in the US, but many agree that cases in both countries are likely underreported.
>
>”The numbers that we have in Alberta are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Dr Suttorp.
>
>But there is one big reason driving the outbreak: low vaccination rates, said Janna Shapiro, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases.
>
>Dr Shapiro said there is “an element of chance” at play, where a virus is introduced to a community by accident and spreads among those who are unprotected.
>
>”The only thing that is going to stop an outbreak is getting those vaccination rates up,” she said. “If the public is not willing to get vaccinated, then it will continue until the virus can’t find anymore receptible hosts.”
>
>In general, studies show that vaccine hesitancy has risen in Canada since the pandemic, and the data reflects that. In southern Alberta, for example, the number of MMR vaccines administered has dropped by nearly half from 2019 to 2024, according to provincial figures.
>
>Covid-19 vaccine mandates were fiercely opposed by some during the pandemic, prompting the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protest in Ottawa where truckers gridlocked the city for two weeks in 2021.
>
>That opposition has since expanded to other vaccines, said Dr Shapiro.
>
>Pandemic-related disruptions also left some children behind on routine immunisations. With measles having been largely eliminated, families likely did not prioritise getting their kids’ vaccinations up to date, Dr Shapiro said.
>
>…
>
>Health units across the country have also tried to encourage people to get vaccinated through public bulletins and radio advertisements. But the response is notably more muted than that during the Covid-19 pandemic, health officials say.
Getting vaccinations for diseases such as measles should be a matter of course by now, but unfortunately this has not been the case over the past number of years. This has put us in a position where there is decreased resilience to these communicable diseases, and in particular puts those who are more vulnerable at higher risk of complications and death.
Anyawnomous on
A lot of rural and religious folks have gone antivax in Alberta. Cuz… “‘Berta!, Fuck yeah!”
AppropriateCase7622 on
I bet America has more cases, they just don’t count.
baconpoutine89 on
Trump will use this as a reason to add more tariffs.
random20190826 on
Andrew Wakefield deserved the punishment he got (by having his medical license revoked) for pushing fraudulent theories about the MMR vaccine causing autism. Now we end up having measles outbreaks that sicken thousands.
Cavalier1706 on
I’ll take stupid morons for $1000 Trebek!
[deleted] on
[removed]
peachesdonegan56 on
Play stupid MAGA games win stupid MAGA prizes.
erasmus_phillo on
tldr it’s because of Mennonite communities who don’t believe in vaccination
wanted to say this before this sub blames immigrants for something else
RiversongSeeker on
For some reason parents stopped vaccinating their kids during the lockdowns. Poor kids.
Important-Event6832 on
Reliable medical records from the USA?
The current administration executive directive on that…
“
testing: ‘If we stopped testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any’
NoImnothim82 on
10 bucks Smith will be bragging about being the best in measles tomorrow
Cyclist007 on
Y’know, this is all BS. 10-15 years ago, when we had our kids, there was *plenty* of talk of either getting the vaccines or not – and that it was our choice to get it or not.
Doctors are just as complicit in this outbreak – this is doctors hearing new parents saying ‘no’ to vaccines, then just shrugging and walking away. It’s eradicated, so what’s the difference anyways? You start doing that often enough – what’s just one baby? – and here we are.
Don’t stand there and tell me that doctors are sounding the alarm, when they hard just as big a part of this as anyone else. SMH…
mapleisthesky on
This is an anti vaxx thing isn’t it?
DowntownMonitor3524 on
Canada? Let’s lay the blame where it belongs: Alberta.
-fucktrump- on
The US stopped tracking numbers. No wonder we look worse.
Spotter01 on
Title is wrong Typical Foreigners… It like them saying they go to Canada and its Toronto…. Article SHOULD be title “How Alberta became the centre of a measles outbreak in North America” there Fixed 👌
Lucky_Moose_5634 on
You mean Alberta right
cobrachickenwing on
Failure to quarantine like COVID lead to this headline. We know the Mennonites are spreading it in certain communities. We chose not to quarantine them and now it has spread like wildfire.
Remarkable-Hunter990 on
Lol
TheRayGunCowboy on
A lot of the credit goes to Danielle Smith
kevanbruce on
Canada didn’t, the idiots living in Alberta did
AustralisBorealis64 on
Bible thumpers aren’t vaxxing their spawn.
mazula89 on
Born and raised in Alberta…
My fellow Albertans are idiots. And love the taste of KoolAid
crakkerzz on
A big part of it is Alberta Conservatives led by Ditzi Danielle Smith.
Idiotic Leadership.
raxnahali on
Because people be dumb and don’t trust a 59+ yr old vaccine that saves lives.
canadiankiwi03 on
Not hard to work out: dumb people have rights. Unfortunately they use those rights to do dumb people things. For example: simultaneously not understanding and not trusting science.
arye_ani on
In Canada, there are two kinds of Canadians depending on lifestyle and beliefs. The main factor is geography: rural or urban Canada. Hell would freeze over before you can change some people’s beliefs. Sad but true.
That being said, a concerted effort is needed to properly educate rural folks devoid of politics.
Mad-Mad-Mad-Mad-Mike on
Am I a bad person for not feeling any sympathy for these people at all?
You have freedom of choice in this country, but that does not protect you from the consequences of those choices. These antivaxxers choose to believe their aunts’ facebook posts instead of scientists who actually know what they’re talking about. They were free to make that stupid decision and this is the result of that stupid decision.
30 Comments
At least we’re first in something!
Some of the key sections from this analytical piece:
>Experts say it’s tough to pinpoint why measles have spread wider in Canada than in the US, but many agree that cases in both countries are likely underreported.
>
>”The numbers that we have in Alberta are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Dr Suttorp.
>
>But there is one big reason driving the outbreak: low vaccination rates, said Janna Shapiro, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases.
>
>Dr Shapiro said there is “an element of chance” at play, where a virus is introduced to a community by accident and spreads among those who are unprotected.
>
>”The only thing that is going to stop an outbreak is getting those vaccination rates up,” she said. “If the public is not willing to get vaccinated, then it will continue until the virus can’t find anymore receptible hosts.”
>
>In general, studies show that vaccine hesitancy has risen in Canada since the pandemic, and the data reflects that. In southern Alberta, for example, the number of MMR vaccines administered has dropped by nearly half from 2019 to 2024, according to provincial figures.
>
>Covid-19 vaccine mandates were fiercely opposed by some during the pandemic, prompting the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protest in Ottawa where truckers gridlocked the city for two weeks in 2021.
>
>That opposition has since expanded to other vaccines, said Dr Shapiro.
>
>Pandemic-related disruptions also left some children behind on routine immunisations. With measles having been largely eliminated, families likely did not prioritise getting their kids’ vaccinations up to date, Dr Shapiro said.
>
>…
>
>Health units across the country have also tried to encourage people to get vaccinated through public bulletins and radio advertisements. But the response is notably more muted than that during the Covid-19 pandemic, health officials say.
Getting vaccinations for diseases such as measles should be a matter of course by now, but unfortunately this has not been the case over the past number of years. This has put us in a position where there is decreased resilience to these communicable diseases, and in particular puts those who are more vulnerable at higher risk of complications and death.
A lot of rural and religious folks have gone antivax in Alberta. Cuz… “‘Berta!, Fuck yeah!”
I bet America has more cases, they just don’t count.
Trump will use this as a reason to add more tariffs.
Andrew Wakefield deserved the punishment he got (by having his medical license revoked) for pushing fraudulent theories about the MMR vaccine causing autism. Now we end up having measles outbreaks that sicken thousands.
I’ll take stupid morons for $1000 Trebek!
[removed]
Play stupid MAGA games win stupid MAGA prizes.
tldr it’s because of Mennonite communities who don’t believe in vaccination
wanted to say this before this sub blames immigrants for something else
For some reason parents stopped vaccinating their kids during the lockdowns. Poor kids.
Reliable medical records from the USA?
The current administration executive directive on that…
“
testing: ‘If we stopped testing right now, we’d have very few cases, if any’
10 bucks Smith will be bragging about being the best in measles tomorrow
Y’know, this is all BS. 10-15 years ago, when we had our kids, there was *plenty* of talk of either getting the vaccines or not – and that it was our choice to get it or not.
Doctors are just as complicit in this outbreak – this is doctors hearing new parents saying ‘no’ to vaccines, then just shrugging and walking away. It’s eradicated, so what’s the difference anyways? You start doing that often enough – what’s just one baby? – and here we are.
Don’t stand there and tell me that doctors are sounding the alarm, when they hard just as big a part of this as anyone else. SMH…
This is an anti vaxx thing isn’t it?
Canada? Let’s lay the blame where it belongs: Alberta.
The US stopped tracking numbers. No wonder we look worse.
Title is wrong Typical Foreigners… It like them saying they go to Canada and its Toronto…. Article SHOULD be title “How Alberta became the centre of a measles outbreak in North America” there Fixed 👌
You mean Alberta right
Failure to quarantine like COVID lead to this headline. We know the Mennonites are spreading it in certain communities. We chose not to quarantine them and now it has spread like wildfire.
Lol
A lot of the credit goes to Danielle Smith
Canada didn’t, the idiots living in Alberta did
Bible thumpers aren’t vaxxing their spawn.
Born and raised in Alberta…
My fellow Albertans are idiots. And love the taste of KoolAid
A big part of it is Alberta Conservatives led by Ditzi Danielle Smith.
Idiotic Leadership.
Because people be dumb and don’t trust a 59+ yr old vaccine that saves lives.
Not hard to work out: dumb people have rights. Unfortunately they use those rights to do dumb people things. For example: simultaneously not understanding and not trusting science.
In Canada, there are two kinds of Canadians depending on lifestyle and beliefs. The main factor is geography: rural or urban Canada. Hell would freeze over before you can change some people’s beliefs. Sad but true.
That being said, a concerted effort is needed to properly educate rural folks devoid of politics.
Am I a bad person for not feeling any sympathy for these people at all?
You have freedom of choice in this country, but that does not protect you from the consequences of those choices. These antivaxxers choose to believe their aunts’ facebook posts instead of scientists who actually know what they’re talking about. They were free to make that stupid decision and this is the result of that stupid decision.
You reap what you sow.