Canada has officially lost its measles elimination status for the first time in more than three decades, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, marking a major setback in the country’s public health record and raising urgent questions about declining vaccination coverage.
The World Health Organization had certified Canada as “measles eliminated” back in 1998, meaning there was no sustained transmission of the virus in the country. But a surge in measles spread this year — with multiple outbreaks linked to travel and clusters of unvaccinated communities — has pushed the country past the threshold that defines elimination.
Public health experts say the trend was building for several years. Routine childhood immunisation rates dropped, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, when many families missed appointments and some communities became more hesitant about vaccines in general. Combined with higher global travel volumes returning, it has created new vulnerabilities.
Health officials warn that measles is not a mild childhood disease. It is one of the most contagious viruses in the world, capable of infecting up to 90% of unprotected people who come into contact with it. Outbreaks can spread rapidly in schools, daycares, workplaces, and public gatherings.
Provincial health ministries are now scrambling to restart catch-up vaccination drives and ramp up public awareness campaigns. Some provinces have already issued alerts urging parents to review their children’s immunisation records and get the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) shot if any dose is missing.
Epidemiologists say restoring elimination status is possible — but only if vaccination coverage climbs back above the 95% threshold needed to block community spread.
For now, the loss of status stands as a warning: even diseases once considered defeated can return quickly if public immunity slips.