Name: Canada at risk of losing measles eradication status
Uploaded: 2025-10-28T00:45:23.383Z
Duration: 2 min 15 s
Description: A year after Canada’s largest measles outbreak, vaccination rates have declined and the country is at risk of losing its World Health Organization status of having eliminated the highly contagious disease.

A year after Canada’s largest measles outbreak, vaccination rates have declined and the country is at risk of losing its World Health Organization status of having eliminated the highly contagious disease.

Ottawa

Canada is at risk of losing its measles eradication status as outbreaks continue in regions with low vaccination rates, such as some Mennonite communities in southwestern Ontario. Public health officials highlight the need for a 95% vaccine uptake to prevent the spread of measles, one of the world's most contagious diseases.

Experts are calling for a national vaccine registry and improved outreach to boost immunization rates and combat misinformation. Canada, which achieved measles elimination in 1998, could lose this status if transmission persists for more than a year, prompting concern among health professionals and international observers.

Canada at risk of losing measles eradication status

Catalina Friesen offers medical guidance in low German, the language spoken by this Mennonite community in southwestern Ontario. The region has been the epicentre of the province's measles outbreak. They do respect and understand the severity of it. Measles spreads like wildfire in communities like this where vaccination rates are low. Friesen is among those working to change that by building trust. I understand what they're going through, I understand why they don't want to do immunizations, why they're scared, so I can help them understand the importance of it. Even among the broader public, measles vaccination rates have slipped in many regions. Last October, Canada declared an outbreak after infections started rising in multiple provinces. Measles remains one of the world's most contagious diseases, and stopping its spread requires vaccine uptake as high as 95%. We don't ever want to see large measles outbreaks in Canada, it's completely unacceptable in 2025. Dr. Isaac Bogosh says public health needs to be a country-wide priority. That means boosting vaccination rates, battling disinformation and breaking down barriers. Easy to say, but of course it takes time, effort, energy, resources to get that done. And the clock is ticking. World Health Organization countries committed to eliminating measles by 2030. Canada hit that goal back in 1998. But the country could lose its elimination status if transmission continues beyond one year. Discussions start in early November. Quite frankly, if we were to lose our status, it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing at an international level. To have a country like Canada on that list is frankly shocking. Some experts are calling for a national vaccine registry to track uptake across provincial borders. Others say we already know who's most at risk and just need better outreach. Over the six years that I've been out here, there has been a very slight change in how many have gotten the immunizations for their families. Friesen says this kind of life-saving education simply takes time. Lauren Pelly, CBC News, Toronto.

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