WHO Agency Withdraws Canada’s Measles Elimination Status Due to Ongoing Outbreaks

Signs in English and Low German warn of a measles alert at the Taber Community Health Clinic in Taber, Alta., on July 28, 2025. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh

A World Health Organisation (WHO) agency has revoked Canada’s measles-free status following more than a year of cases reported in multiple provinces and territories.

A “large, multi-jurisdictional outbreak of measles” since late last year led the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to withdraw Canada’s measles elimination status, according to a Nov. 10 announcement from the the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

“While transmission has slowed recently, the outbreak has persisted for over 12 months, primarily within under-vaccinated communities,” the health agency’s news release reads.

There were 22 confirmed measles cases and one probable case between Oct. 26 and Nov. 1, part of 4,800 confirmed measles cases and 362 probable measles cases this year as of Nov. 1, according to PHAC. Ontario leads with 2,393 confirmed or probable cases, followed by Alberta at 1,946 and B.C. at 336.

The news release notes that the main measles outbreak began last October across various provinces as well as the Northwest Territories, leading the PAHO to inform the public health agency that Canada’s measles elimination status had been removed based on recent health data. Canada first achieved measles elimination status in 1998 because endemic transmission was no longer occurring.

Canada’s public health agency said it is working with the U.N. organization and provincial and territorial partners to get more people vaccinated, improve the sharing of health information, and upgrade monitoring to keep better track of measles cases. It noted that last month health ministers from across Canada convened to talk about measles and how to improve the response to it.

PAHO guidelines say that Canada can regain measles elimination status “once transmission of the measles strain associated with the current outbreak is interrupted for at least 12 months.”

Measles is a highly infectious disease with initial symptoms including fever, coughing, congestion, and irritated eyes escalating three to seven days later into a red, patchy rash that spreads down the body for four to seven days. The majority of people recover in two to three weeks, however, PHAC notes that the disease can cause complications including pneumonia, ear infections, respiratory failure, brain inflammation, and death. It advises anyone experiencing potential measles symptoms to isolate themselves and call a health-care provider before visiting a clinic.