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Alberta measles cases now exceed total in United States as outbreak worsens
EDMONTON — Alberta now has more confirmed measles cases than the entire United States, despite having a population just one-seventieth the size. Recent health data shows 1,314 cases in Alberta, which has roughly 4.9 million residents, compared with 1,288 confirmed cases in the U.S., where more than 340 million people live. This makes the outbreak in Alberta nearly 70 times more intense per capita than in the United States.
Naheed Nenshi, the recently sworn-in leader of Alberta’s New Democrat opposition, called the numbers “not just shocking, it’s proof that Danielle Smith’s UCP government has failed us all.”
“This was not written in stone,” Nenshi said. “With good public health measures, an immunization campaign and a minister who might have tried to stop it, this spread could have been prevented.”
He added that Alberta’s New Democrat caucus “would have acted long ago to stop the spread of this highly contagious, potentially deadly, and completely preventable disease.”
Nenshi called on the government to take immediate action. “At this moment of the outbreak, the UCP government should be setting up public health clinics and encouraging everyone to get vaccinated to keep Albertans safe.”
He criticized the government for its handling of the crisis. “Instead, Danielle Smith and her uncaring, incompetent and anti-public health UCP government continue to ignore their responsibility to protect Albertans. We now have four different health ministers and not one of them is doing anything to get this contagious disease outbreak under control.”
Nenshi also singled out the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the former minister of preventative health services. “The Chief Medical Officer of Health and the recently demoted and strangely absent, minister of preventative health services, Adriana LaGrange, should be assuring Albertans there is an effective vaccine available to all.”
Health officials advise Albertans to contact Health Link at 811 to check their vaccine status and seek guidance on immunization. Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. It can lead to serious complications including pneumonia, brain swelling, seizures and death.
The outbreak comes amid global increases in measles cases, with numerous countries reporting outbreaks. Vaccination remains the best protection against the disease.
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