Canada loses measles elimination status, public health reports

The Public Health Agency of Canada says it has been notified that Canada has lost its measles elimination status.

In a statement shared on Monday, public health says this follows the “large, multi-jurisdictional outbreak of measles that began in October 2024.”

Canada has held the status since 1998, following a year-long push to vaccinate people with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Public-heath officials say this vaccine is a safe and effective tool to fight the spread and protect people from the virus.

It says that the rate at which people were becoming infected with the virus has been slowing but it has persisted for over 12 months, primarily in under-vaccinated communities.

“The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has notified the Public Health Agency of Canada (PAHC) that Canada no longer holds measles elimination status,” says PHAC in a statement posted Monday.

“PAHO’s Measles and Rubella Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission reviewed recent epidemiological and laboratory data, confirming sustained transmission of the same measles virus strain in Canada for a period of more than one year.”

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