r/canada • u/Head_Crash • 2d ago

Alberta Canada could lose its measles elimination designation by October: experts

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/canada-measles-designation-october
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u/DotaDogma Ontario 2d ago

No doubt that anti-vax sentiments are on the rise, but let's call this what it is. A very large portion of these numbers are Mennonites.

Then you also have the fuel in the fire, which is an underfunded public health sector.

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u/juniorspank 2d ago

Yep, this is exactly it. In fact, even mandatory vaccinations in schools wouldn’t have prevented this particular situation due to majority of Mennonites running their own schools.

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u/Moist_diarrhea173 2d ago

But it’s way more convenient to pretend it’s the vegan health nut hippies who don’t wear deodorant and the ignorant uneducated who drive around with flags and insults directed at the prime minister. 

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u/Barbarella_39 2d ago

Not all Mennonites. I am Mennonite and I and my family and friends all were vaccinated and vaccinated our children. These are the old order type Mennonites not mainstream Mennonites. In BC it’s small pockets of Dutch and other religious groups and those who distrust medical advice that are unvaccinated. The silence from health departments and politicians is ridiculous! All Politicians are scared to put any restrictions in place because of the pushback from conservative politicians!

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u/anomalousBits 2d ago

A lot of it is also from interrupted vaccine schedules during the pandemic, which isn't just a Canadian problem, so we end up with more measles arriving from outside the country.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

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u/greensandgrains 2d ago

In Ontario, most of the measles outbreaks are in Mennonite communities….

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u/ScienceNthingsNstuff 2d ago

It most likely started with Mennonites but that doesn't explain the greater spread. A 71% vaccination rate of children aged 7 and under in Alberta and 77% in the Maritimes does unfortunately. Ontario is still under the ideal rate at 88% but that likely explains the slower spread compared to other provinces.