If measles is spreading, Canada could lose 30 years of removal status: PHAC -National

Canada has been holding a measles exclusion situation for nearly 30 years, which could go away by fall.

According to a recent risk update from the Canadian Public Health Agency (PHAC), if the current outbreak continues to increase their situation, Canada could lose its position by October 2025.

“It’s a very big public health issue for now. Canada achieved measles elimination in 1998. There has been no outbreak of this magnitude in over 30 years,” said Dr. Sarah Wilson, a public health physician at Public Health, Ontario.

“I can use amazing words to explain what it was like as a public doctor. And once the measles virus stops finding anyone who gets infected, the spread of measles ends.”

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That means that measles vaccination rates need to rise, she said.

Also, symptoms are not only exploding in Canada, but also exploding in Europe and the US around the world.

Measles is one of the most infectious diseases. This is more contagious than diseases like Covid-19, the flu, and chicken pox. This high level of contagion is one of the reasons for the rapid spread of measles, especially in areas with low vaccination rates.

As of April 19, Canada has reported 1,177 measles cases in seven provinces this year, with Ontario seeing the highest number.

Just 65 cases were reported at the same time last year.

According to PHAC’s latest risk assessment, the surge was driven by the pockets of people who were not vaccinated, marking the largest outbreak of measles since the virus was eliminated in 1998.

“If the current transmission chain continues beyond October 2025, Canada could lose its elimination status,” PHAC said. “In many cases, limited access to and intake of vaccines can lead to preventable diseases, long-term complications and death in vulnerable groups, which often reflects the population immunity gap.”

The report also stated that the possibility of long-term transmission over the next six months is moderate to high, and “will be driven by an outbreak involving communities with low immunity to measles.”

The removal state does not mean that measles is completely gone (it is eradication), but that means that the disease is no longer continuing to spread within the country.

Canada achieved measles elimination in 1998 after years of strong vaccination efforts. This means that measles did not actually spread through community communication and was mostly linked to travel.

And Canada was able to reach exclusion status as a “direct result” of a successful vaccination program, PHAC said.

However, in recent years, measles has been resurfaced due to a decline in vaccination rates.

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Outbreaks are difficult to contain once they begin, as measles viruses can spread before symptoms appear and can remain contagious for a long period of time.

“Unfortunately, we know that measles has been introduced in parts of the state, and there’s a pocket of unvaccinated individuals there,” Wilson said.

To effectively prevent the outbreak of measles and maintain immunity in the herd, at least 95% of the population should be vaccinated.

A study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health in October 2024 found that vaccination rates for measles, mumps and Revera (MMR) vaccines had declined in 2023 compared to 2019, before the pandemic. Specifically, one dose coverage of MMR decreased from 89.5% to 82.5%.

“If people are fully vaccinated, they are not at risk for this outbreak,” Wilson said. “And for individuals who don’t, I really encourage people to talk to reliable healthcare providers in terms of ensuring that they can answer their questions.”

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This is because pneumonia, swelling of the brain, permanent hearing loss, even death, even death, and even measles complications can be severe, especially in young children and children with weakened immune systems.

Measles vaccines are available in Canada as Measles-Mamps-Rubella (MMR) or Measles-Mamps-Rubella Baricera (MMRV) vaccine.

The first dose of a vaccine containing measles is usually given to children aged 12 months. The second dose is usually given between 18 months or between 4 and 6 years of age.

The vaccine has resulted in a decline of more than 99% in measles cases since its approval in Canada in 1963, according to the federal government.

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