Alberta Measles Cases Top 2,000 as Virus Briefly Checks Into Royal Alex
Alberta’s ongoing measles outbreak marked another milestone this week, as the province issued a public alert confirming the virus had successfully completed a brief but productive visit to the Royal Alexandra Hospital cafeteria.
Health officials say one infectious person spent nearly three hours at the hospital’s main foyer and food court on Jan. 9, giving measles ample time to circulate, browse, and possibly consider a muffin. The exposure comes as Alberta reports 14 active cases and a total of 2,042 since the outbreak began in March 2025, with 28 new cases confirmed as of Jan. 16 – numbers the province described as “concerning, but not surprising, given everything.”
Primary Care Alberta warned that anyone born in or after the 1970s with fewer than two documented measles vaccinations may be at risk, a reminder that nostalgia for pre-internet childhoods does not confer immunity.
Officials stressed the hospital remains safe, noting measles only spreads through the air, shared spaces, and the collective consequences of past decisions.
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