Step up measles vaccinations, say doctors as outbreaks accelerate in Ontario, Alberta [Video]

This story is part of CBC Health’s Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.

Doctors are urging public health officials in Ontario and Alberta to step up vaccination and messaging efforts as measles outbreaks in those provinces continue to grow. 

Ontario reported 223 new confirmed and probable infections of measles over the past week, bringing the outbreak size above 1,200. As of May 2, a total of 210 confirmed measles cases were reported to Alberta Health.

“That’s the largest single week increase since the outbreak began in October of 2024,” said Dr. Sarah Wilson, a public health physician with Public Health Ontario.

“A lot of important developments in the last week, unfortunately.”

The bulk of Ontario’s cases are in the Southwestern Public Healthregion that includes the city of St. …