Opinion: Public health under attack from misinformation, measles; Where is Alberta’s top doctor?

When U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attended the Texas funeral of eight-year-old Daisy Hildebrand, Kennedy reportedly did not mention that the death could have been prevented. The formerly healthy child died of measles, a vaccine-preventable disease. The father said that Kennedy “did not say that the vaccine was effective … I had supper with the guy … and he never said anything about that.” Nor, are there reports that Kennedy apologised for recommending that parents not vaccinate their children. 

Article content

Kennedy recently failed in a second public health duty. He traveled to Utah to praise the state’s government for removing an effective, safe and equitable public health measure, water fluoridation, that reduces dental decay by approximately 25 per cent. Such praise is bizarre.

The problems that Kennedy and his disinformation accomplices have manufactured are not limited to the United States. The problems have arrived in Alberta. Fifty people have contracted measles; 46 of them under age 18. Such avoidable pain and suffering is occurring because parents or guardians made the decision not to vaccinate those children and youth, fearing the vaccine more than the disease.

Article content

Likewise, some Calgary and area residents fear the drinking water when water fluoridation finally returns after more than a decade of dental decay.

It is common for people to fear proposed treatment. Every day in medical clinics, patients express their fears. When the fears are groundless, the doctor explains why the patient need not worry.

Article content

Article content

Alberta has other specialized doctors who provide care to all of us, rather than one patient at a time. These “whole population doctors” — public health experts — should be able to assuage unfounded fear about the public health measures they recommend: vaccination and fluoridation. Of course, we have documents about measles vaccination and fluoridation on the government website, but the public health experts are currently absent from the media scene.

Isn’t this strange? How is it that we have an outbreak of a disease that was eliminated in Canada in 1998, but we do not see our public health experts on television explaining the risks and benefits of measles vaccination? How is it that more than 1.6 million Albertans will soon have their important public health benefit returned, and yet no Alberta public health officer is publicly addressing the fluoridation misinformation and disinformation emanating from the U.S.?

It is probable that a small proportion of the premier’s political supporters oppose public health measures. But they, too, are entitled to have the facts explained and their questions answered by public health officials through the media. Alberta premiers have generally prioritized their ethical obligations to reduce Albertans’ suffering over any political interest. The very idea that the Alberta chief medical officer of health is, as reported by media, unavailable to the media during a measles outbreak is outrageous.

Article content

The Health minister was recently asked why we haven’t heard directly from the chief medical officer of health since the measles outbreak began March 12. The minister replied this way: “When Dr. Joffe feels that’s important for him to do, he will absolutely go out and do it.” But Dr. Mark Joffe has not spoken publicly, and he almost certainly feels it is important to speak. Chief medical officers in other provinces would address the media after a few cases of measles and not still be silent when there are 50 cases.

Alberta’s premier has the opportunity to fix this problem. The premier can encourage and require our public health experts to address public fears through the media to assuage concern. No one should come between a patient and their doctor. These medical and dental public health experts have a patient —  the people. The experts belong to the people, not to the government. Albertans pay the salary of these experts. It is unhelpful to hear from elected officials instead, because these officials lack the requisite knowledge and so can accidentally misinform.

Article content

The current U.S. public health situation is a contagion —  a contagion of fear —  which our public health experts should address. We call upon Premier Danielle Smith to release our population health experts so that we see and hear them speak. They will help prevent disease and death.

What is the premier waiting for? The death of an Alberta child?

Juliet Guichon, Ian Mitchell and James Dickinson are faculty members at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary.

Letters welcome

Article content