Where's Alberta's public health boss?

April 22-30 is National Immunization Awareness Week, and we haven't heard a peep from Dr. Mark Joffe, Alberta's chief medical officer of health (CMOH). His role is to provide public-health expertise on issues of public-health importance.

In light of the interruption of children's immunization schedules during the pandemic, and the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, I would have expected that AHS Public Health and the CMOH would be communicating to the public. Immunization is cheap, safe and effective in preventing childhood vaccine-preventable diseases and knowing how to get children's recommended immunizations up to date is vital to keeping these childhood killers at bay.

A CMOH who is seen in public can help make the case that vaccines are not just for kids, but are needed throughout the lifespan. How can parents and citizens be confident that they are making safe and effective immunization decisions when our public health leaders remain silent?

Dr. Joffe is rumoured to be Alberta's CMOH. It's ironic that he is never seen in public, rarely talks to the public, and that he and the government that hired him don't seem to care about the health and safety of the public. If you do see him, can you let him know: We miss him! Ardene Vollman, Calgary