What does a newfound increase in measles cases mean for Canadians across the nation?
After 27 years of maintaining its measles elimination status, Canada has officially lost this standing. This announcement from the Pan-American Health Organization, comes after reports of over 5,000 cases across the country in 2025. Cases are appearing in almost all provinces, with only Newfoundland and Labrador, and the territories of the Yukon and Nunavut free from reported cases. At the present, Ontario has the largest number of confirmed cases of measles, with 2,393 reported cases since 2024. Alberta follows behind with 1,946 reported cases since 2024. There have been two deaths from the virus, both of which in congenital cases in babies that were born pre-term. These two unfortunate deaths occurred in Ontario and Alberta.
Measles is a contagious viral infection, medically known as Rubeola. Symptoms include itchy eyes, fever, cough, and rash. The rash initially presents on the face, but can ultimately spread to cover the whole body. Without complications, the virus tends to run its course for about a week, but complications of the virus can be lethal. Johns Hopkins Medicine also reports measles can include “ear infections, pneumonia, and encephalitis or inflammation of the brain that can lead to permanent neurologic damage and even death.”
Director of the Pan-American Health Organization Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, gave a statement on Nov. 10, 2025 regarding the contagion rate of the virus. “Measles is the most contagious virus known to humankind. One infected person can transmit the disease to up to 18 others,” he said. “Thanks to vaccines, most people have never seen an outbreak in their lifetime.” His comments stress the importance of preventative action in combatting this virus.
The virus can be effectively combatted with the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine, which is given in two doses, with the first dose normally recommended for children aged one year to 15 months. After receiving the first immunization, children have 95 per cent protection from measles. The second dose, typically received after 18 months of age, guarantees 98 per cent protection. Those who are unvaccinated have a nine out of ten chance of contracting the virus. Newfoundland and Labrador Chief Medical Officer, Janice Fitzgerald, spoke about the prevention of the virus in Canada on CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show. “We’re seeing transmission of the measles virus in communities, essentially, that are under-vaccinated.” She continued, “measles is a very contagious virus, and when it gets into a community where there’s a low vaccine rate, then we see a really quick spread of that virus.”
Canada will not be able to regain its measles-elimination status until the ongoing transmission of the virus has been stopped for at least one year. This can only be accomplished by receiving adequate vaccination, addressing the accessibility needs of under-vaccinated communities, and quarantining those who have been infected to prevent the spread until they have fully recovered. Canada is not the only Pan-American Health Organization member to have lost its measles elimination status in recent years. Similar outbreaks in Venezuela in 2018 and Brazil in 2019 caused those countries to redeclare their measles status. However, both were able to curb the spread of measles after five years, meaning that hope is not lost for Canada to fight back against the virus.