Braid: Smith's government mutes vaccine skepticism in face of a measles epidemic

Article content
Then, a welcome surprise. Health Minister Adriana LaGrange endorsed Joffe's column and his views on the virus and vaccination.
Now there's a campaign to ramp up vaccination as well as aggressively promote the shots across all media.
But it took a looming crisis to force the UCP into action. The problem they face is one they helped cause, with their post-COVID anger and questioning of medical science.
It's generally believed that 95 per cent of a population must be vaccinated to eliminate the spread of measles.
By 2023, only about 69 per cent of Alberta children were vaccinated by age two.
Calgary's average was 75 per cent, far below the ideal. And in some northern areas, the vaccination rate was as low as 10 per cent. No area in Alberta met the 95 per cent target.
AHS, bless its troubled heart, has never stopped promoting or supplying vaccines.
But the message from Premier Danielle Smith and her acolytes has been that the vaccine deniers have a point.
Smith has never said people who want vaccinations should be refused a shot. Neither did she tell Albertans they should be vaccinated.
But on Monday, the premier repeated the new slogan, 'Don't get measles. Get vaccinated.'
A premier's words mean something to a great many Albertans.
They heard her vaccination skepticism. Hopefully, they'll now catch her overdue enthusiasm.

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Calgary Herald

9 hours ago

• Calgary Herald

AHS issues fresh measles warnings for Edmonton, St. Albert, northern Alberta

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Edmonton Journal

2 days ago

• Edmonton Journal

Saturday's letters: Smith should trust frontline staff on vaccines

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Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Yet, previously very effective fall vaccination campaigns were delayed by her government and ordered to remove any mention of flu or COVID, tying their hands behind their backs. As frontline staff predicted, uptake plummeted. If you don't think accurate information campaigns matter, consider this. In a phone call to the premier's office yesterday, I was told that children under four can't receive COVID vaccines despite their availability in Alberta since fall 2022. Frontline staff have been clear: Vaccines are effective in reducing severe outcomes; that infants with COVID, who make up 30 per cent of pediatric hospitalizations, benefit from access from six months old; that vaccinated pregnant women can safely benefit and protect infants under six months; that cost is a barrier and staggering groups is less effective; that removing access for children under 12 is just wrong; that when children end up in hospital, many parents are shocked this was possible. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again The unilateral COVID vaccine changes, the superseding by government of formerly arms-length operations and the politicizing of services, make the premier's video promises to trust the front line sound very hollow indeed. S.M. Hogan, Edmonton Private trees at risk from infill builders Re. 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The Province

2 days ago

• The Province

'Swallowing razor blades': What to know about the painful symptom linked to latest COVID strain

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SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The World Health Organization recently designated NB.1.8.1 as a variant under monitoring. The strain, nicknamed 'Nimbus,' has reportedly been causing extremely painful sort throats in those who have been infected with it. Cases of the Nimbus variant have been rising. It has been detected in 22 countries as of May 18 and made up 10.7 per cent of the global COVID samples taken in late April, WHO said. That was considered a 'significant rise in prevalence' since it only made up 2.5 per cent of global COVID samples four weeks prior. However, WHO deemed the overall risk of Nimbus to be low. 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By the end of May, Nimbus made up roughly 20 per cent of all identified COVID cases. Using earlier trends to estimate the current situation, the government is predicting how variants will spread or diminish. This method is called nowcasting. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For the week of June 1, the nowcasted estimates of Nimbus in Canada are predicted to be around 42 per cent. The nowcasted estimates for the week of June 15 jump to 53 per cent, meaning it would make up more than half of the cases in Canada if the prediction is accurate. Other than Canada, Nimbus has been detected around the world, with cases reported in India, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States, according to the World Health Network. It has also made its way to Australia and the United Kingdom. Read More