VACCINE RESOURCE COMMITTEE

of the Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association

View Full List of Vaccine Questions Here

General Vaccine Question #2:

Are vaccine preventable diseases still a concern?

We do not see many high rates of these diseases in Canada due to high levels of vaccinations; however, these still exist and can have devastating outcomes if not vaccinated. COVID-19 and influenza continue to be very prevalent as new strains of the virus circulate in the community.

Respiratory viruses continue to cause hospitalization, ICU admissions and death in Alberta. These tables provide the data from August 25, 2024 to April 12, 2025. Current information can be viewed here.

Laboratory-confirmed seasonal influenza cases and severe outcomes in Alberta

Laboratory-confirmed RSV cases and severe outcomes in Alberta

Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and severe outcomes in Alberta

Although diseases such as polio have been eliminated in Canada, outbreaks are occurring in other parts of the world. Through travel and migration diseases are sometimes imported and then can spread easily in populations who are not fully vaccinated. Vaccines protect the vaccinated person and stops spread in our communities.

Measles was eliminated in 1988 in Canada, but recently there have been outbreaks. Information on the current outbreak in Alberta is here.

From January to November 2024 there were 1 case of congenial rubella reported in Canada.

In 2023, Alberta had 304 cases of pertussis. Lower vaccination rates were a driver for the outbreak. In 2022, 70.7 per cent of children across Alberta were vaccinated against whooping cough, but in the South Zone, just 58.1 per cent of children were vaccinated.

Before the varicella vaccine for chickenpox prevention was available in 1998, approximately 350,000 cases and 1,500-2000 hospitalizations for chickenpox occurred each year in Canada. Since 2000 there have been 11 pediatric deaths from varicella.

With respect to shingles (Herpes zoster virus), from the Canadian Immunization Guide, the lifetime risk of HZ has been estimated to be as high as 30% in the general population. In Canada, it is estimated that each year there are 130,000 new cases of HZ and 20 deaths.

There were 25 to 55 deaths from tetanus per year during the 1920s and 1930s in Canada. After the vaccine was available in 1940 the number of cases declined. There were 6 deaths reported between 2000-2010.

Sources

Government of Alberta: Respiratory virus dashboard
Alberta Health Services: Confirmed case of measles prompts public alert to potential exposures
Government of Alberta: Measles
Government of Canada: Measles and Rubella Weekly Monitoring Reports
University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine: Declining vaccination rates in Alberta’s South Zone are considered a major contributor to the current whooping cough outbreak
Government of Canada: Varicella (chickenpox) vaccines: Canadian Immunization Guide
Government of Canada: Varicella (Chickenpox)
Government of Canada: Tetanus: Health Professionals
Government of Canada: Updated Recommendations on the Use of Herpes Zoster Vaccines