New measles uptick ‘alarming,’ Alberta doctor warns

The last time weekly case counts were this high was August.

Of measles cases this year where the patient’s immunization status is known, 91% have been in individuals who never received a measles vaccine. Another 5% were among people who had received 1 of the 2 recommended lifetime doses. Rafferty Baker, CBC

Jennifer Lee, CBC News Calgary Jan 15, 2026

Alberta’s measles case counts have jumped after several quieter months, sparking concerns about the province’s ability to quash the outbreak.

According to publicly available data, 27 new cases have been confirmed this week, including 16 on Monday, six on Tuesday and five on Thursday.

The last time weekly case counts were this high was August.

There are now active cases in the south, north and central health zones and there have been a total of 2,041 cases since the outbreaks began in March.

“I’m very worried that we’re seeing the start of a new surge in measles cases in the province,” said Dr. Karina Top, an infectious diseases physician at the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

“To me that suggests… there are likely to be a few cases that got into a community with low vaccination rates and that this has the potential to really take off.”

There are currently 15 so-called “active cases” in the province. Those are cases that are known to be communicable.

According to Top, who described the increase as “alarming,” there are likely many more people in the community who are not yet diagnosed who could be spreading the highly infectious illness.

“We know that we are not capturing all of the cases… this is really the tip of iceberg.”

Top, who is also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta, expects to see a further uptick in the days to come.

“It’s certainly a setback in efforts to end the outbreak,” she said.

“The risk that this could flare up in communities that so far have escaped the worst of our measles outbreak is pretty high, I’d say.”

Increase small, government says

In a statement, the Alberta government said the increase is not surprising given the ongoing measles activity in the province.

“While there has been a small increase in the past few days, most new cases reflect transmission within a small number of families rather than widespread community transmission,” said Maddison McKee, press secretary for the Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services.

No Albertans are currently hospitalized due to measles.

“Public health officials continue to implement targeted vaccination campaigns, expand clinic hours, and conduct provincewide outreach to increase immunization uptake and limit further spread,” reads the statement shared with CBC News on Wednesday.

McKee said transmission has occurred primarily in some smaller communities with lower vaccination rates.

“While some areas — particularly in the South Zone — continue to have lower immunization coverage, this reflects a broader national challenge. Public health officials continue to take proactive steps to limit further spread and ensure Albertans have timely, accurate information to protect themselves and their families.”

According to the ministry, the number of vaccines given out in the province between mid-March and early January increased by 39 per cent compared to the same period during the previous year.

The south zone saw a 72 per cent increase, while the north zone saw a boost of 65 per cent, according to McKee.

Measles risk continues

“Unfortunately, measles isn’t gone,” said Craig Jenne, a professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary. “It is a risk.”

He said an uptick is not entirely unexpected given that people were travelling and gathering over the holidays.

What is surprising, according to Jenne, is that there are active cases in three health regions, suggesting there may be a number of different exposure events.

He noted case counts are far below last year’s peak.

And while health officials have boosted immunization rates, he said they still aren’t high enough for herd immunity.

“We don’t want to create hype or panic about this. But this is very much how things started in the beginning of 2025, where most of the early cases were direct contact within families or small social groups,” Jenne said.

“It just takes a combination of the wrong situation at the wrong time for that virus to start spreading more broadly.”

Measles can lead to severe complications including pneumonia, brain swelling, premature delivery and even death.

There have been 164 hospitalizations including 16 ICU admissions due to the virus since Alberta’s outbreaks began. There has also been one death.

Provincial data shows the vast majority of cases are among those who are unimmunized.

Jennifer Lee Reporter

Jennifer Lee is a Senior Reporter for CBC News based in Calgary. She covers health stories for CBC’s web, radio and video platforms. If you have a story to share, let her know.

Source CBC News Calgary