Canada is at risk of losing its measles elimination status after a year-long outbreak that began in New Brunswick in October 2024. The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) granted the country “eliminated” status in 1998, meaning there had been no sustained local transmission for 12 consecutive months. That streak is now broken.
The outbreak, which started at a Mennonite gathering, quickly spread across religious communities in Ontario and Alberta. These populations often have lower vaccination rates due to cultural and religious objections. Health officials also cite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to missed routine vaccinations for measles, mumps, and rubella.
Over the past year, Ontario has reported 2,375 measles cases and Alberta 1,925. The outbreak in New Brunswick was declared over in January, and officials in Ontario believe the province may soon follow if no new cases emerge outside the virus’s incubation window.
Canada now has an incidence rate nearly three times higher than the United States, which has reported 1,618 cases in the same period despite having 8.5 times the population. Mexico is also experiencing a comparable outbreak.
W.H.O.’s Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) will review Canada’s elimination status in November. The review will almost certainly find that Canada no longer meets the standard due to over 12 months of sustained local transmission.
Ontario health officials noted that 75% of measles patients have been children, and 96% of them were unvaccinated. Two babies died after their mothers gave birth prematurely while infected—one in Ontario, one in Alberta.
The U.S. and Mexico will also be subject to measles status reviews in early 2026. The United States previously avoided losing its elimination status in 2019 after controlling a serious outbreak in New York. Current outbreaks in New York and South Carolina remain small by comparison.
If Canada loses its measles elimination certification, it will mark a major public health setback and underscore the ongoing consequences of vaccine hesitancy and pandemic-related disruptions in routine care.
