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Urgent Health Warning: Measles Exposure at YEG
9 Dec
Summary
- Measles exposure alert issued for Edmonton International Airport.
- Risk identified for travelers on Air Canada Flight 171 on Dec 2.
- Measles resurging in Alberta due to declining vaccination rates.
Alberta Health Services has issued a public health warning after a confirmed case of measles at the Edmonton International Airport. The exposure period includes Air Canada Flight 171 from Toronto on December 2nd and the airport's baggage claim area between 7:10 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. that evening. Individuals born in or after 1970 without two doses of the measles vaccine are particularly at risk.
The highly contagious airborne virus can cause severe complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis. Symptoms typically appear three to seven days after fever onset and include a rash. Anyone who may have been exposed is advised to self-monitor, review immunization records, and contact a measles hotline if symptoms develop before visiting a healthcare facility.
This incident highlights the ongoing resurgence of measles in Alberta, with nearly 2,000 cases reported since March 2025. Declining vaccination rates nationwide have fueled the virus's return, despite its elimination in Canada in 1998. The vaccine is available free of charge in Alberta, with timely vaccination or immunoglobulin administration recommended post-exposure.
