In a significant public health setback, Canada has officially lost its hard-won designation as a country that has eliminated measles. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) confirmed the revocation after reviewing data showing sustained measles transmission within Canada for over twelve consecutive months.
A Designation Lost
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced the development in a statement released on Monday. The loss of the elimination status marks a major regression in the nation's fight against a highly contagious virus that was once considered a thing of the past. Canada had first achieved measles elimination status back in 1998.
Janna Shapiro, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto's Center for Vaccine Preventable Diseases, did not mince words in her assessment. She labeled the situation a "public health failure." "It's a very sad day for us in Canada," Shapiro stated. "We had this disease that was well under control and was very much a thing of the past, and it's not a thing of the past anymore."
The Role of Vaccine Hesitancy
Health experts are pointing directly to rising vaccine hesitancy as one of the largest contributors to the outbreak. Dr. Brian Wirzba, President of the Alberta Medical Association, explained that misinformation is a key driver behind this trend. "Some of that is driven by patients or just members of the general public not necessarily having the right information that they need to make an informed decision," Wirzba said in an interview.
According to PHAC, the majority of measles cases have been identified in several provinces and territories, including Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia. The outbreaks are primarily occurring in unvaccinated or under-vaccinated communities.
Shapiro emphasized that the solution is clear, even if the path is challenging. "There's never been a huge question as to what needs to be done," she said, noting that the challenge lies in effectively addressing the complex issue of vaccine hesitancy.
Timeline of an Outbreak
The current measles crisis was first declared on October 27, 2024, in New Brunswick. Infectious disease researchers had been monitoring the one-year mark of that declaration, October 27, 2025, as the potential date when Canada could lose its elimination status if transmission continued unabated.
While international travel initially introduced the virus into the country, PHAC confirmed that most cases in the ongoing outbreak were exposed to measles within Canada itself, indicating established community transmission.
Alberta currently has the second-highest number of reported measles cases in the country at 1,954, with two cases still listed as active. This data underscores the widespread nature of the outbreaks and the urgent need for renewed public health efforts.
