Global measles outbreak poses danger to Canadian travelers, health officials warn

With the global measles epidemic showing no signs of slowing into 2026, including explosive outbreaks in travel hotspots such as the southern United States and Mexico, public health officials are warning Canadians to check their vaccination status before traveling abroad this winter.

Mexico has reported more than 2,700 new cases so far this year. government data showsmost infections are detected among infants and young children. Meanwhile, more than 900 new infections have been confirmed in the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The number of measles cases is rapidly increasing in Florida, with about 60 people infected. at university Southwest coast near Naples, Rapidly growing outbreak in South Carolina This is the country’s largest outbreak since the disease was eradicated more than 20 years ago. Hundreds of infections have been reported so far.

Here in Canada, dozens of new cases have been reported since the beginning of the year. Including a cluster of more than 70 cases that continues to grow in Manitoba.just a few months after leaving the country. Lost measles elimination status After an outbreak of infection through 2025.

Dr. Natasha Crowcroft, Canada’s acting chief public health officer and former senior measles adviser at the World Health Organization, said in an interview with CBC News that the resurgence of measles in Canada has had a “devastating” impact on many families.

Some children suffered brain infections or became hearing impaired, and more than 30 children ended up requiring intensive care during last year’s surge, she said. In Canada, two premature babies died from measles infection before birth in 2025.

With March holiday travel just around the corner, Crowcroft stressed that getting as many infected people out of the country remains paramount to preventing further spread of the virus.

“When checking your passport, please check whether you have been vaccinated,” she urged. “Things are getting worse in so many places… beWhat makes this situation a little different is that it affects countries not normally considered to be at risk for measles. ”

Number of infected people jumps 40 times across the US

In early February, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced that the number of measles cases in the Americas had jumped 40 times in the first three weeks of this year compared to the same period in 2025.

Many European countries (e.g. UK) This also recently lost its eliminated status -Nowadays, the risk of measles is also increasing.

This highly contagious airborne disease can still be a deadly threat, especially to young children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. Most people recover, but the severity of measles varies. obvious rash It can lead to serious complications such as respiratory failure and permanent brain damage.

Health officials and medical experts say the measles resurgence is due to multiple factors, including growing anti-vaccination sentiment and a setback in routine childhood immunization in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Investments in public health and immunization programs are critical to controlling measles, said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a senior public health advisor at the Los Angeles-based Wellness Equity Alliance of Community Health Centers and a former CDC official.

Unfortunately, the U.S. public health system has been “broken” in recent years, leading to public mistrust and creating “an ecosystem where people don’t get vaccinated,” Daskalakis said. He added that the situation continues to have a knock-on effect, leading to global rhetoric that vaccines cannot be trusted.

Immunization rates for kindergarteners nationwide during the 2024 school year decreased compared to the previous year for all vaccines, including measles vaccination. CDC data shows that Meanwhile, vaccine exemptions for that group increased from 3.3% to 3.6%.

In its recent measles alert, PAHO noted that overall measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage across the Americas increased slightly in 2024 compared to 2023, from 87 to 89 percent for the first dose and 76 to 79 percent for the second dose, but still falls short of the 95 percent target needed to prevent an epidemic.

This threshold is due to the fact that measles is one of the most contagious diseases ever identified and is difficult to control without incredibly high vaccination rates, explained Dr. Aron Weisman, an infectious disease expert at the University of Toronto Health Network.

“If you are not vaccinated, even short-term contact with an infected person could put you at risk,” he said.

Most Canadians need two doses of measles vaccine

Given the number of Canadian families traveling to places like Mexico; measles hotspot Immunologist Dawn Bowdish said it was important to stay up to date on vaccines in the coming months, especially for people who were pregnant or traveling with young children.

“Where it becomes a problem is when people travel with really young babies. We don’t vaccinate them.” [infants] “Unless there is an outbreak, Canada requires 12 months to be here…and unfortunately, these are the people who are most at risk,” added Bowdish, an associate professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.

She noted that while the standard schedule is for the first shot to be given at 12 months of age, concerned parents can ask their health care provider to vaccinate infants as early as 6 months of age.

“It means one extra dose is needed, but there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s definitely worth the peace of mind,” Bowdish said.

Crowcroft, Canada’s top doctor, agreed, stressing the importance of checking the vaccination status of everyone in your household before traveling.

of Canada’s Immunization Guide It notes that routine childhood measles immunization typically includes two doses of either measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (MMR) or measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine (MMRV), with the first dose given between 12 and 15 months of age and the second dose given between 18 months of age and “at the latest before school age.”

Children and teens who have not yet received the measles vaccine should also receive two doses of a measles-containing vaccine. Adults born after 1970 only need one dose, but people at high risk of exposure to measles, such as international travelers, should also get two doses.

The current outbreak across Canada, with more than 5,000 measles cases confirmed since early 2025, started with “one person coming back to Canada with measles,” Crowcroft said.

“So you don’t want to be that person.”