Canada Faces Measles Resurgence as Global Cases Climb

A year after measles began spreading across Canada, the outbreak has slowed but experts warn the virus remains a persistent threat to the country’s elimination status. The World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization recently highlighted a “global comeback” of measles, with Canada currently reporting the highest number of cases in the Americas region.

Since October 27, 2024, when the current outbreak began, Canada has recorded more than 5,000 confirmed and probable cases of the highly contagious airborne virus. Two deaths have occurred among babies who contracted measles in utero after being born prematurely – one in Ontario and one in Alberta.

“It’s important to reflect on who else is on that list,” said Dawn Bowdish, a professor in McMaster University’s medicine department and an immunologist, referring to countries that have lost their measles elimination status. “Places in the world that are going through wars, major civil disruptions or don’t have public health infrastructure. To have a country like Canada on that list is frankly shocking.”

Canada achieved measles elimination status in 1998, but maintaining this designation has become increasingly challenging. While international travel will inevitably reintroduce the virus periodically, experts point to deeper domestic issues that could enable future outbreaks.

Outbreak Origins and Spread

The pan-Canadian outbreak began when an international traveler attended a wedding in New Brunswick last October. From there, cases spread to Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia. Health officials note that infections primarily affected unvaccinated communities.

In particular, Ontario and Alberta experienced significant outbreaks in distinct religious and cultural communities, highlighting the challenges of reaching all population segments with public health messaging.

Battling Vaccine Misinformation

Vaccine misinformation remains a significant obstacle to immunization efforts both in Canada and globally, despite overwhelming evidence supporting vaccine safety.

“The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine has been studied backwards, forwards and sideways in terms of safety,” said Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta. She emphasized that countering disinformation campaigns will require substantial, organized efforts rather than informal volunteer work by health professionals.

Dr. Issac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto’s University Health Network, added: “We can see disinformation online amplified and it has real world consequences.”

Saxinger suggested looking at social media algorithms and considering legislative approaches similar to those implemented in Europe to address the amplification of false information about vaccines.

Trust and Community Engagement

Mennonite communities in southwestern Ontario were particularly affected by the province’s measles outbreak. Public health officials acknowledge that building trust with certain population groups requires ongoing investment and culturally sensitive approaches.

Catalina Friesen, a personal support worker with the Central Community Health Centre in Alymer, Ontario, works as a translator for a mobile clinic serving Mennonite families. Speaking Low German, she helps bridge the gap between healthcare providers and the community.

“They won’t come see us if they don’t trust us,” Friesen explained. “I don’t think they’re worried about specifically the measles vaccine. I think they’re just worried about being told what to do when they don’t want to do it.”

She noted that historical mistreatment and broken promises regarding community autonomy over the past century have contributed to mistrust among Mennonites.

The Call for a National Vaccine Registry

Healthcare professionals across Canada are advocating for a national vaccine registry to improve tracking and response capabilities. Currently, vaccination records in provinces like Ontario are fragmented between individual medical offices and local public health units, with some information existing only on easily misplaced paper records.

Dr. Jeffrey Pernica, a pediatric infectious disease physician at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, noted that doctors screening patients with symptoms like fever and rash often lack immediate access to vaccination status, hampering their ability to deliver appropriate care.

“It makes a lot of sense to have provincial vaccine registries that are compatible with one another so we have a national view as to where some of these pockets might be,” said Bogoch, calling a national registry for routine childhood immunizations a “no brainer.”

Such a system would particularly benefit mobile Canadians who receive vaccines in different provinces throughout their lives, Bowdish added.

With measles surging globally, experts consider future introductions of the virus into Canada inevitable. The key to preventing extensive transmission chains will be higher vaccination rates across all communities.

“Easy to say,” Bogoch acknowledged, “but of course it takes time, effort, energy, resources to get that done.”