Federal health officials privately acknowledged Canada’s loss of its measles-free designation did not mean the disease had become widespread nationwide, despite mounting public concern over outbreaks linked to declining vaccination rates.According to an April 30 Public Health Agency memo prepared for Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Joss Reimer, the World Health Organization’s decision to revoke Canada’s measles elimination status was primarily a surveillance classification rather than evidence of uncontrolled spread.“Losing elimination status does not mean measles is widespread across Canada,” the memo stated. “It is a classification used to guide surveillance and response efforts. Canada continues to have strong immunization programs.”The memo also emphasized measles deaths remain rare in countries with modern healthcare systems and high vaccination coverage.“In countries with high vaccination coverage and access to high quality health care such as Canada the mortality rate for measles is estimated at about one to 10 deaths per 10,000 cases,” officials wrote.Public Health Agency data showed two measles-related deaths in Canada during 2025 and 2026. Across North America, officials recorded 45 deaths tied to measles during the same period, including three in the United States, four in Guatemala and 36 in Mexico.The World Health Organization officially removed Canada’s measles-free status on Nov. 10 following an outbreak linked to an unvaccinated traveller from Thailand who attended a 2024 wedding in New Brunswick..According to the British Medical Journal, the virus later spread into communities across Canada with lower vaccination rates, particularly among Mennonite and Anabaptist populations.Federal officials had publicly raised alarm over the outbreak as cases spread.“It’s all hands on deck,” Public Health Agency president Nancy Hamzawi told the Commons health committee last October.Kerry Robinson, the agency’s vice-president responsible for vaccination programs, later described the outbreak as “quite significant” during testimony before MPs on March 12.Ottawa also budgeted $1.5 million last year for a measles awareness and prevention campaign aimed at boosting vaccine uptake.“The funds for that campaign are raising awareness of measles,” Robinson said. “We have generations that have forgotten about measles.”The internal memo was prepared ahead of Reimer’s appearance before the Commons health committee on April 30, where she acknowledged Canada’s loss of measles elimination status was a setback.“Losing the measles elimination status was a very disappointing thing to happen in Canada,” Reimer testified.She attributed the resurgence in part to declining childhood vaccination rates across the country.“We have seen a decrease in childhood vaccine uptake across the country,” said Reimer. “There’s certainly variation in different regions and communities. However I would say that across the board for a variety of reasons there has been a decrease, which contributed in part to what we’re seeing with measles right now.”
