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Canada Loses Measles Elimination Status After Yearlong Domestic Transmission

PAHO withdrew the designation due to sustained spread of a single strain within under‑vaccinated communities.

Overview

  • The Public Health Agency of Canada reported 5,138 measles cases by October 25, 2025, including 4,777 confirmed.
  • Federal officials said two newborns with congenital measles have died in the current outbreak.
  • Experts say transmission has been concentrated in under‑vaccinated pockets, disproportionately affecting some Mennonite, Amish and other Anabaptist communities.
  • Ontario and Alberta account for most infections, with 2,392 and 1,944 cases respectively, while British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan report hundreds more.
  • Canada can regain elimination only after 12 consecutive months without transmission of the circulating strain, and authorities are escalating vaccination efforts to reach susceptible groups.