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2d ago

Canada Loses Measles Elimination Status, Forcing Loss of the Americas’ Designation

PAHO confirmed yearlong transmission in under‑vaccinated pockets, prompting PHAC to intensify vaccination and surveillance to regain status.

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

  • Canada’s outbreak that began in October 2024 has generated more than 5,100 cases across nine provinces and one territory, with two infant deaths following in‑utero infection.
  • Ontario declared its provincial outbreak over on October 6, yet Alberta nears 2,000 cases and continues to report sporadic transmission.
  • Sustained spread has centered in communities with very low MMR coverage, including interlinked Mennonite groups with limited engagement with health services.
  • Because one country’s loss revokes the regional label, the Americas also lost measles‑free status as PAHO tallied nearly 12,600 cases across 10 countries in 2025, about 95% in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
  • Canada can restore its status by extinguishing the current chain and documenting 12 months without circulation while boosting vaccination coverage, strengthening surveillance, and improving data sharing.