Canada's measles-free status has been revoked due to a significant increase in cases nationwide, with over 5,000 reported infections in 2025. This move is expected to be followed by the US, which will also likely lose its designation soon.
The decision comes as no surprise, given the highly contagious nature of the disease and the decline in childhood vaccination rates in Canada. The country's measles-free status was previously confirmed in 1998, but a drop in vaccination rates has led to a resurgence of cases, with over 100 infections reported between 2020 and 2023.
The US is also facing a similar situation, with large outbreaks reported this year and likely to lose its measles-free designation soon. Despite having high vaccination rates, the country's measles-free status will be revoked due to sustained outbreaks since early 2025.
The loss of these designations serves as a symptom of a deeper issue - declining trust in public health messaging about science and health, which has led to decreased vaccination rates and growing vulnerability to vaccine-preventable diseases. The World Health Organization's labels for disease control, including "controlled", "eliminated", and "eradicated", are also under threat.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases globally, with nearly every child getting infected before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963. The vaccine has significantly reduced cases, but the World Health Organization notes that almost all of the remaining deaths occur in low-income countries where access to vaccines is limited.
To achieve and maintain measles elimination status, a country must have no ongoing local transmission for at least one year. However, with vaccination rates dropping globally, outbreaks will soon start happening, posing a significant risk to communities.
The situation highlights the need for improved public trust in community health measures and increased vaccination coverage to prevent further outbreaks of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
The decision comes as no surprise, given the highly contagious nature of the disease and the decline in childhood vaccination rates in Canada. The country's measles-free status was previously confirmed in 1998, but a drop in vaccination rates has led to a resurgence of cases, with over 100 infections reported between 2020 and 2023.
The US is also facing a similar situation, with large outbreaks reported this year and likely to lose its measles-free designation soon. Despite having high vaccination rates, the country's measles-free status will be revoked due to sustained outbreaks since early 2025.
The loss of these designations serves as a symptom of a deeper issue - declining trust in public health messaging about science and health, which has led to decreased vaccination rates and growing vulnerability to vaccine-preventable diseases. The World Health Organization's labels for disease control, including "controlled", "eliminated", and "eradicated", are also under threat.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases globally, with nearly every child getting infected before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963. The vaccine has significantly reduced cases, but the World Health Organization notes that almost all of the remaining deaths occur in low-income countries where access to vaccines is limited.
To achieve and maintain measles elimination status, a country must have no ongoing local transmission for at least one year. However, with vaccination rates dropping globally, outbreaks will soon start happening, posing a significant risk to communities.
The situation highlights the need for improved public trust in community health measures and increased vaccination coverage to prevent further outbreaks of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
... have you guys tried their Korean BBQ tacos? I mean, who comes up with this stuff? 
It's like a match made in heaven! Anyway, back to the measles thing... it's crazy how quickly things can go from good to bad. Remember when we were all about being "vaccine heroes" 
? Now it seems like we're just trying to keep up with the latest outbreak. What do you think is the main reason people are getting vaccine-shy lately? Is it social media, misinformation... or something else entirely? 
the fact that we're gonna lose our precious "measles-free" status is super worrying 
. i mean, we've worked so hard to eradicate this disease and now it's like, what are we doing wrong? 
and yeah, its all connected to public trust and all that jazz...but like, how can we expect people to trust us when they're constantly hearing conflicting info about vaccines? 
. First, they tell us the vaccines are 100% effective, but we know that's not true 
. They just don't want us to think about the risks. Now, Canada and the US are losing their measles-free status? That's just a symptom of the real problem – they're more interested in making money off the pharmaceutical companies than in protecting our health 
. And it's not like we didn't see this coming either 
. They're always pushing for 'greater transparency' and 'public trust', but what about when their own interests are at stake? It's all just a cover-up 
. We need to wake up, folks! The truth is out there... or maybe it's just hiding behind the smoke screen of 'science' 
.
I'm not surprised to hear that Canada's measles-free status has been revoked... 5k+ cases is a lot, especially with vaccination rates on the decline 
. It's like people are throwing their hands up in defeat and letting the disease spread free 
. I mean, we've had decades of progress on vaccine-preventable diseases, but it feels like we're taking steps back now 
. The US is facing a similar situation, which is just alarming 
. measles is still a huge threat worldwide, especially in low-income countries where access to vaccines is limited 
. Can we please prioritize global vaccine equity and community trust? 
5k cases is crazy! and now the us is gonna follow too? 
what's going on with vaccination rates in these countries? it's like, we should know better by now 
gotta get trust back in public health and vaccines for real