Possible measles exposure at Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary

Health officials in Alberta are warning of a possible measles exposure at a children’s hospital.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) said Tuesday a person with confirmed measles had been at the Alberta Children’s Hospital emergency department in Calgary on July 13 between 10:08 a.m. and 2:14 p.m.

Anyone who was in this location at these times, who was born in or after 1970, and has less than two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine, may be at risk for developing measles.

AHS says they should self-monitor for symptoms of measles and are strongly encouraged to review their immunization records.

Measles is an extremely contagious disease and the virus spreads easily through the air. 

Symptoms of measles include:

• Fever of 38.3° C or higher; and
• Cough, runny nose and/or red eyes; and
• A rash that appears three to seven days after fever starts, usually beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down to the body and then to the arms and legs. The rash appears red and blotchy on lighter skin colours. On darker skin colours, it can appear purple or darker than the skin around it, or it might be hard to see.

If symptoms of measles do develop, individuals are advised to stay home and call the measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 before visiting any healthcare facility or provider, including a family physician clinic or pharmacy.

This comes after Alberta became a hotspot for measles, receiving the title of most measles cases per capita in North America, and more recently, surpassing the United States in total cases.

As of July 21, Alberta has 1,454 cases of measles. As of July 15, 2025, there were a total of 1,309 confirmed cases across the entire U.S., according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

AHS says the measles vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection and complications. In Alberta, the measles vaccine is offered, free of charge, through Alberta’s publicly funded immunization program. The recommended schedule for measles vaccination is two doses, the first at one year of age and the second at 18 months.

More information can be found here ahs.ca/measles or here ahs.ca/immunization.