Alberta’s overall immunization rate in kids declining

By KENDALL KING on March 15, 2023.

kking@medicinehatnews.com

Childhood immunization rates in Alberta’s South zone experienced an overall decline between 2020-2021; but while doctors say the decline is not cause for concern, they continue to advise scheduled immunization.

In Alberta, children aged 0-17 are eligible and recommended to receive 33 individual immunization doses to protect against 12 types of illness.

As the immunizations are optional, coverage rate fluctuation is expected year-over-year and between the different types of immunization. However in 2020, aligning with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, coverage rates for 28 of 33 immunization doses available to children fell across the South zone, as well as the province.

(Coverage rates rose for only five doses of two different immunizations; both doses of HPV vaccination for males between the ages of 13 and 17, and all three doses of HBV vaccination for children ages 0-2.)

Health experts have noted the decrease, with some expressing worry over the potential increase in susceptibility and spread if standard coverage rates for an illness were to continue declining.

“The more contagious a particular virus or bacteria is, the higher the rate of coverage you need in the population, meaning that more kids are vaccinated in order to stop the spread sufficiently.” Dr. Javed Alloo, a community-based family physician and health educator, told the News.

“When we talk about herd immunity, that’s what we mean: Are there enough kids who are sufficiently immune, that they won’t get sick enough with the infection, and won’t hold on to it long enough, to spread it to others?”

When discussing Alberta’s coverage rates, Alloo raises particular concern regarding immunization against measles, a highly-contagious and potentially deadly viral disease common in areas around the world.

“You actually need much higher rates of immunization, 90-95 per cent, for something like measles,” said Alloo.

As of 2021, coverage rates for the direct dose of immunization against measles (MMR), administered to children aged 0-2, was sitting at 74.29 per cent in the South zone, below the provincial average of 84.74 per cent, and was the lowest rate recorded since 2008.

At 77.35 per cent, coverage rates for the second dose, administered to children between the age of 2 and 7, was slightly higher than the provincial average of 75.84 per cent across the province, but still lower than seen in recent years.

Despite the overall decrease, Alloo and other physicians say coverage rates can easily be increased with immunization.

“I think Alberta has actually done sort of OK when it comes to not having the rates fall too much compared to other provinces,” Alberta-based public health physician Dr. Jia Hu said. “But I do think we are seeing increasing amounts of vaccine hesitancy in Alberta versus other parts of the country.

“COVID has been very polarizing (in regards to how Albertans feel about immunizations) but the vaccines we give kids are very safe, and we know they’re very effective. And as we certainly don’t want measles outbreaks happening, we encourage people to get their kids vaccinated. And if they have any questions, to talk to the local public health unit or their family doctor.”

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