43 cases of measles in Alberta, outbreak east of Edmonton prompts public alert

The number of confirmed cases of measles keeps growing in Alberta, particularly in the Alberta Health Services central zone where an outbreak has been identified in Two Hills, prompting a public health alert.

Once declared eradicated in Canada in 1998, measles is now making a comeback, spreading rapidly in recent months due to declining vaccination rates.

As of noon Tuesday, there were 43 measles cases across Alberta, and 21 of those are in the central zone — where seven new cases were identified over the past 24 hours.

Of the 43 confirmed cases, all but four of them are in people under the age of 18, according to the province’s dashboard.

The AHS zone breakdown is as follows: 21 cases in central, nine cases in the north, six cases in the south, four cases in the Edmonton area, and three cases in the Calgary area. Those numbers will update at noon Wednesday.

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says Alberta’s measles outbreak isn’t dire enough for the province’s top public health doctor to address the public, despite mounting calls for the government to do more to stop the spread.

The new cases come as the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association blamed the spread on government inaction, calling Tuesday for a government-initiated vaccination plan and better public updates.

There have been exposures across Alberta, including in Airdrie, Calgary, Edmonton, Fort Vermilion and Lethbridge. For the latest on those, visit this AHS website.

Measles outbreak in Two Hills

AHS said it has been notified of at least 13 confirmed cases of measles in the community of Two Hills alone, however given the speed and ease at which the airborne disease spreads, the actual number may likely be higher. At least one case was also confirmed in Vegreville.

Both communities are about an hour east to northeast of Edmonton. Alberta Health said there is no outbreak at the Two Hills Hospital, but rather the disease is spreading around the community at large.

At least four of the individual cases have also been in public settings while infectious, AHS said. Many of the exposures in Alberta have occurred at medical facilities.

People who were in the following locations during the specified dates and times may have been exposed to measles:

March 31, 2025
Two Hills Health Centre Emergency Department
4401 53 Ave. Two Hills
Exposure time period: Approx. 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm (MST)

April 1, 2025
Two Hills Medical Clinic
5019 51 St Unit #2, Two Hills
Exposure time period: Approx. 8:45 a.m. – 2:17 p.m.

Tim Horton’s (drive thru)
5114 46 Ave, Tofield
Exposure time period: Approx. 2:25 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Costco Business Centre
10310 186 St. NW, Edmonton
Exposure time period: Approx. 3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Chik-Fil-A (drive thru)
10104 186 St. NW, Edmonton
Exposure time period: Approx. 4:20 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

WalMart Supercentre
6809 Hwy 16A, Vegreville
Exposure time period: Approx. 8 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

April 2
Two Hills Medical Clinic
5019 51 St Unit #2, Two Hills
Exposure time period: Approx. 9:20 am – 1:25 p.m.

Two Hills Health Centre Laboratory/Diagnostic Imaging
4401 53 Ave. Two Hills
Exposure time period: Approx. 11:45 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.

Tim Horton’s (drive thru)
5114 46 Ave, Tofield
Exposure time period: Approx. 5:30 p.m. – 5:35 p.m.

April 3
Two Hills Health Centre (hospital) emergency department
4401 53 Ave. Two Hills
Exposure time period: Approx. 11:10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Two Hills Medical Clinic
5019 51 St Unit #2, Two Hills
Exposure time period: Approx. 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Holden Post Office
5011 50 St, Holden
Exposure time period: Approx. 5:40 p.m. – 7:40 p.m.

Tim Horton’s (drive thru)
6801 Hwy 16A West, Vegreville
Exposure time period: Approx. 6:15 p.m. – 6:20 p.m.

Fas Gas Plus
6813 Hwy 16A, Vegreville
Exposure time period: Approx. 9:20 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

April 4
Tim Horton’s (drive thru)
6801 Hwy 16A West, Vegreville
Exposure time period: Approx. 7:40 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.

St. Joseph’s General Hospital
5241 43 St, Vegreville
Exposure time period: Approx. 8 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

April 5
Tofield Health Centre Emergency Department
5543 44 St, Tofield
Exposure time period: Approx. 6:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.

Additional locations may be released if necessary, AHS added.

Anyone who was in the above-mentioned locations at the listed times, who was born in or after 1970 and has less than two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine is at risk of developing the disease.

They should self-monitor their symptoms and are strongly encouraged to review their immunization records.

Two Hills residents encouraged to get additional immunizations

With measles currently circulating in the area, AHS said those who live in Two Hills are also currently recommended and eligible for additional immunizations:

• Infants who are six months up to and including 11 months of age are recommended to receive an early dose of vaccine. However, they should still receive their routine two doses after they reach one year of age.
• If you were born before 1970 and have not been immunized, you can discuss with your health care provider a single dose of measles vaccine.

Measles can ‘erase’ your immune system’s memory

Measles is an extremely contagious disease and is spread easily through the air.

Symptoms include:

• Fever of 38.3° C or higher
• Cough, runny nose and/or red eyes
• A rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts, usually beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down to the body and then to the arms and legs. The rash appears red and blotchy on lighter skin colours. On darker skin colours, it can appear purple or darker than the skin around it, or it might be hard to see.

Complications of measles can include ear infections, pneumonia, inflammation of the brain, premature delivery, and rarely, death.

The highly contagious virus doesn’t just cause a rash and fever — it can also wipe out the immune system’s memory, leaving survivors vulnerable to infections they’ve fought off before, like the flu, a cold, or even diseases they’ve been vaccinated against.

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Health Canada warns that measles can lead to serious immune suppression, known as immune amnesia. This can increase the risk of other illnesses and even raise the chances of death for months or even years after the infection, the health agency states on its website.

Measles, known for its characteristic red rash, is one of the most contagious viruses on the planet, with an R number of 12 to 18 — meaning one infected person can spread it to up to 18 others in an unvaccinated population. To put that in perspective, COVID-19’s original strain had an R number of about two to three, and even highly-transmissible variants like Omicron rarely exceeded 10.

People who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems and babies under the age of one are at greatest risk.

If symptoms of measles do develop, individuals are advised to stay home and call Health Link at 811 before visiting any health-care facility or provider, including a family doctor’s office or pharmacy.

The measles vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection and complications, and is free to get in Alberta.

2:03 Measles: the symptoms to watch for, and what vaccinated people need to know

— with files from Katie Dangerfield, Global News and The Canadian Press