Canada's Measles-Free Status Declared Over Amid Outbreak

Tue Nov 11 2025 00:28:13 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The Pan American Health Organization announces Canada has lost its measles elimination status, coinciding with a rise in cases due to low vaccination rates, prompting urgent calls for public health action.

Canada has officially lost its measles-free status due to a prolonged outbreak attributed to declining vaccination rates. The Pan American Health Organization highlights the need for a 95% vaccination rate to control the spread, warning the US may also face a similar fate if current outbreaks aren't curbed. Public health officials are urging renewed vaccination efforts as the Americas grapple with rising cases.

Canada has lost its measles elimination status, said the Pan American Health Organization (Paho) on Monday, after failing to curb an outbreak of the virus for 12 consecutive months.

Because Canada is no longer deemed measles-free, the Americas region as a whole has lost its elimination status, although individually the other countries are still considered to have stamped out the disease.

The US, however, risks losing its status as well if it does not stop an ongoing outbreak by January. Related cases have now been reported in Utah, Arizona and South Carolina.

Canada's outbreak began last October, with health officials attributing it to fewer people being vaccinated against measles.

At a news conference on Monday, Paho officials appealed to Canadian governments and the public to ramp up vaccinations, noting that 95% of the population needs to be immunised to stop the spread of measles.

This loss represents a setback, but it is also reversible, said Dr Jarbas Barbosa, the health organisation's director.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said it is collaborating with Paho and regional health authorities to improve vaccine rates and strengthen data sharing.

Prior to Monday, Canada had been declared measles-free for three decades. It can regain its elimination status if it can curb the spread of the virus for at least 12 months.

The country has reported more than 5,000 measles cases in 2025, with most of them in the provinces of Ontario and Alberta. That is three times the 1,681 cases reported in the US, despite Canada's much smaller population.

The bulk of the outbreak has been in under-vaccinated communities, and vaccination rates in Alberta are reported to be lower than the necessary 95% threshold.

Canadian immunologist Dawn Bowdish noted the systemic issues contributing to low vaccination rates, emphasizing the need for public health outreach and addressing misinformation about vaccines.

The Americas is the first and only region to be declared measles-free since 2016, with recent outbreaks emphasizing the importance of high vaccination coverage.