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Canada Loses Measles Elimination Status, Ending the Americas’ Regional Designation

Year-long transmission in under-vaccinated pockets triggered a renewed vaccination push.

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
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)
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A vial of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is pictured at International Community Health Services, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Overview

  • PAHO formally notified Canada on Nov. 10 that sustained transmission for more than 12 months ended the country’s measles-free designation, which also removed the Americas’ regional status.
  • The outbreak that began in October 2024 in New Brunswick has led to over 5,100 Canadian cases in 2025 across nine provinces and one territory, including two infant deaths after in‑utero exposure.
  • Transmission remains concentrated in tight‑knit, under‑vaccinated communities, notably interlinked Mennonite groups, even as some provinces report slowing spread and Ontario declared its outbreak over in October.
  • PHAC and PAHO are coordinating corrective actions to boost vaccination coverage, strengthen surveillance and data sharing, with reinstatement possible after 12 months without transmission once the outbreak is extinguished.
  • PAHO reports nearly 12,600 measles cases across the Americas this year, about 95% in Mexico, Canada and the U.S., and warns the U.S. could also lose its status if ongoing outbreaks are not halted.