‘No doubt an epidemic’: Health professionals warn of severity of measles – CTV
July 22, 2025
Health professionals are ringing alarm bells in Alberta as it becomes the measles capital of North America.
The Alberta Medical Association held an expert panel Tuesday afternoon to address the province’s escalating measles outbreak which has surpassed 1,400 cases.
“There’s this misconception that measles is a routine childhood illness, and it’s not,” said pediatrician Dr. Tehseen Ladha during the panel. “Its high-contagiousness and relatively high rate of complications make it unique and something we should really strive to protect against.
The measles virus can be spread through the air and can linger in the air for up to two hours, making it one of the most contagious viruses on Earth, said Ladha. Measles is also contagious for days before the rash appears.
While Ladha supports the measles vaccine, saying it’s the only way to protect yourself from the virus, she did highlight the often rare symptoms of the vaccine.
Fever-associated seizures can occur in one to out of 3,000 to 4,000 individuals, said Ladha, while there is a one in 10 chance of hospitalization if someone gets measles.
