Adrienne Tomusiak, whose three children under three are all in daycare, has seen it all this winter for sickness, from norovirus, to influenza, to RSV.
But she’s worried that measles could be next for her 10-month-old son, her youngest, who is still ineligible for the vaccine.
“They constantly put things in their mouths and whatever else. They spread germs pretty easily,” said Tomusiak, who lives in Edmonton.
“If I hadn’t gone back to work, I probably would worry less because I’m home, so he’s not exposed to as many things,” she said.
Alberta health officials confirmed 20 total cases of measles as of noon Thursday, two more since Wednesday, according to the provincial government’s dashboard.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) data shows that, out of every 1,000 measles cases, one to three people die from the disease. More than 90 per cent of people who aren’t immune and come into contact with the virus will become infected.
The fear of measles has some parents with infants looking for ways to avoid exposure and take advantage of early vaccination opportunities.
Generally, infants must be a year old to receive their first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Babies between six and 11 months are recommended to get the vaccine early if they are having an organ transplant, or are travelling internationally or to an area in Canada where measles is spreading.
In Alberta, this includes Area 1 of the Alberta Health Services North Zone, located in the top northwest corner of Alberta. Cities like Fort Vermilion and High Level are within the area.
Alberta Health has brought in more “measles-containing vaccines” in case there is an increase in demand, a ministry spokesperson told CBC News in a statement.
Tomusiak’s son has a rare blood disorder, so she called a clinic to see if he could get the vaccine earlier. She was told, ‘No.’
Tomusiak said some Edmonton area parents are concerned enough about measles to lie about travel plans.
A couple of people messaged her, saying those administering the vaccine would “just give it to you and they don’t ask you any questions,” if she were to tell them her son would be travelling to an outbreak area or the U.S., she said.
Tomusiak isn’t willing to lie to get her son a MMR shot, she said, but she would like to see expanded eligibility for the first dose.
“For example, my child has been going to daycare since he was eight months [old]. So there’s a bigger risk that he’s going to get sick versus another child who’s maybe at home with the parents,” she said.
In the meantime, Tomusiak said her family is avoiding some busy public spaces, like indoor play places and recreation centres.
Alyssa Shaw, of Sherwood Park, just east of Edmonton, is doing the same with her three-year-old son and six-week-old-daughter.
She’s stressed that without higher vaccination rates, her daughter is particularly vulnerable — especially given her son is exposed to other kids.
Shaw, a health-care worker, has not seen anyone die from measles. But she has seen other patients be that one-in-1,000 who dies from other illnesses, she said.
“It has to happen to somebody,” she said.
About 69 per cent of Albertans born in 2021 had received two doses of the MMR vaccine by the time they turned two years old in 2023, according to provincial vaccination data.
The vaccination rate for that cohort varied by region, with the Edmonton and Calgary zones at 72 and 75 per cent, respectively, data shows.
Data for 2024 will be released in early May, according to Alberta Health.
Shaw wants more people to get their children vaccinated, she said.
“Nobody’s lying about measles, nobody’s lying about vaccines. It’s not a conspiracy theory,” she said.
“When people start being flippant about it, it’s really frustrating because my daughter has to rely on her immunity.”
Shaw is monitoring the measles situation in the meantime. She said she has debated pulling her son from his dayhome if the things worsen.
“He loves dayhome, so I don’t want to pull him from his friends,” Shaw said. “But at the same time… it’s airborne, so if someone brings it into the house, basically everyone is exposed. There’s no way to stop it.”