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Canada Loses Measles Elimination Status, Ending the Americas’ Measles‑Free Designation

PAHO said continuous transmission of the same virus strain for over a year met the threshold for revocation.

A person walks past a measles screening sign near an entrance at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario on July 9, 2025. Canada, which officially eradicated measles in 1998, has recorded more cases of the virus this year than any other Western country, according to World Health Organization figures updated this month. Different communities have been hit, but experts link the severity of the outbreak primarily to conservative Mennonite communities in the provinces of Ontario and Alberta long been opposed to vaccines. (Photo by Geoff Robins / AFP) (Photo by GEOFF ROBINS/AFP via Getty Images)
A woman passes near healthy awareness posters related to the measles outbreak during a public health awareness campaign, at the Taber Health Centre, in the largely Mennonite community of Taber, Alberta, Canada, October 27, 2025. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot
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Overview

  • Canada has recorded about 5,138 measles cases in 2025 with two infant deaths, and transmission continues in under‑vaccinated pockets despite recent slowing.
  • The outbreak began in October 2024 in New Brunswick and spread nationwide, with Alberta and Ontario among the hardest hit before Ontario declared its outbreak over in October.
  • PAHO’s decision also strips the Americas of regional measles‑free status, which had been regained in 2024 after earlier setbacks.
  • Genetic and epidemiological links connect Canada’s strain to major outbreaks in Texas and Mexico’s Chihuahua state, with notable spread in some Mennonite communities.
  • The Public Health Agency of Canada is coordinating with PAHO on corrective steps such as boosting MMR coverage and strengthening surveillance and data sharing to regain certification, while the U.S. remains at risk with 1,681 cases this year.