Canada measles cases: Canada has lost its measles elimination status for the first time in nearly three decades after failing to halt a year-long outbreak, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Monday. The decision also strips the wider Americas region of its measles-free designation.
Health authorities had warned the move was likely. Canada has logged more than 5,000 cases across nine provinces and one northern territory. “This represents a setback, but it is also reversible,” said PAHO director Dr Jarbas Barbosa, noting several countries in the region, including Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay and the United States, are battling active outbreaks.
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Experts said the reversal reflects gaps in vaccination and outreach. “It’s a wake-up call for Canada,” said Dr Isaac Bogoch, an infectious-diseases specialist at Toronto General Hospital, pointing to barriers that keep some communities from immunisation. Measles can be prevented when about 95% of people are vaccinated, the coverage level needed for herd immunity. Losing elimination status, health analysts warned, raises the risk that measles could again become endemic, with greater hospitalisations and deaths among unprotected children.
The Public Health Agency of Canada said transmission has slowed, but the outbreak has persisted for over 12 months, “primarily within under-vaccinated communities.” The agency said it will focus on raising coverage, improving data sharing and strengthening surveillance. Alberta, one of the hardest-hit provinces, said cases there are down more than 90% from the peak, with vaccinations since March running about 50% above last year.
To retain measles-free status, countries must stop continuous transmission of the same viral strain for at least 12 months and maintain high-quality surveillance. The Americas only regained regional elimination in 2024 after an outbreak in Brazil was contained. The United States and Mexico have each recorded significant surges this year amid declining childhood vaccine uptake; US officials face a Jan. 20 deadline to show the strain that began in Texas last January is no longer spreading and that new cases are unrelated.
(With inputs from Reuters)
