Canada Loses Measles-Free Status, Health Officials Warn
Canada has long been recognized as a country free from measles, a status it has maintained for nearly three decades. However, this achievement has recently been challenged by an outbreak that began in October 2024 and has since spiraled out of control. As a result, health officials have officially revoked Canada’s measles elimination status. While the country still has the opportunity to regain this status, the path forward is expected to be complex and demanding.
On November 10th, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Health Organization's regional arm for the Americas, had formally removed Canada’s measles elimination status. This decision came after Ottawa failed to bring the October 2024 outbreak under control.
Transmission has slowed
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, while the spread of the virus has slowed in recent months, the outbreak has continued for over 12 months, mainly within communities with low vaccination rates. The Vancouver Sun reported that thousands of measles cases have been traced back to the original outbreak, which was linked to a wedding in New Brunswick.
Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, the Director of PAHO, addressed the situation during a press conference on the same day, stating that Canada had lost its measles elimination status. He also noted that this loss affected the entire Americas region. Dr. Barbosa took full responsibility for the situation during his remarks.
A setback for the country
“This loss represents a setback—but it is also reversible,” Dr. Barbosa said. “Measles is the most contagious virus known to humankind — one infected person can transmit the disease to up to 18 others,” he continued, later emphasizing that stopping the spread of the virus requires at least 95% of the population to be vaccinated with two doses across all communities, without exception.
Epidemiological and laboratory data reviewed by the World Health Organization showed that there has been sustained transmission of measles in Canada for 12 months. The virus has spread to ten of Canada’s thirteen provinces and territories. The original New Brunswick outbreak has been tied to 95% of Canada’s 5,138 measles cases in 2025.
There have been difficult cases
Alberta has seen the highest number of measles cases in Canada per capita, with 1,944 cases. Before the current outbreak, Canada had only seen around 91 measles cases per year. According to the Vancouver Sun, 375 hospitalizations and 2 deaths—one in Alberta and another in Ontario—have been linked to the original outbreak in New Brunswick.
Canada has held measles elimination status since 1998. The country can regain this status once the measles strain associated with the current outbreak is interrupted for at least twelve months, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. However, this will be challenging, as the virus continues to spread among unvaccinated Canadians.
