canada marks vaccination week amid 'sobering' return of measles
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federal health minister marjorie michel, seen in a february 2026 file photo, called the loss of measles elimination status sobering. “it is a difficult wake-up call because in canada we believe in science and we value our scientists," she said. "but we need to take action, including building trust in vaccine through community engagement.”
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five months after canada lost its measles-free status, the annual week devoted to vaccination awareness is taking on a new significance.
for the first time in 24 years, the pan-american health organization (paho) came to ottawa to launch vaccination week in the americas — a nod to canada’s recent loss of measles elimination status and a chance to reaffirm the importance of keeping vaccination rates high. the event, hosted by cheo president and ceo dr. vera etches, was held monday, april 27, at library and archives canada and livestreamed around the americas.
paho, which serves as the world health organization’s regional office for the americas, revoked canada’s measles-free status last november after a year-long outbreak resulted in more than 5,000 cases of the highly infectious disease. so far in 2026, there have been 871 cases across the country.
the measles vaccine is highly effective, but, because the disease is so contagious, 95 per cent of the population must be immunized to prevent outbreaks. vaccination rates have steadily declined in canada in recent years and remain below the threshold — in part due to disruptions caused by the pandemic as well as the rise of misinformation and poor access to primary care.
as of the end of 2024, just over 80 per cent of two-year-olds in canada were adequately vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, according to health canada.
federal health minister marjorie michel, speaking at the event, called the loss of measles elimination status sobering.
“it is a difficult wake-up call because in canada we believe in science and we value our scientists. but we need to take action, including building trust in vaccine through community engagement.”
she said the federal government is working with provinces and territories, as well as agencies, to better understand the barriers to higher immunization rates in order to regain measles elimination status and increase vaccination rates.
dr. anne pham-huy, chair of immunize canada and a pediatric infectious disease physician at cheo, is optimistic canada can regain its measles elimination status, “but it is not going to be easy”.
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“together we are going to make sure that our children are going to receive all the vaccines that they need to protect themselves from diseases. canada is firmly committed to advancing vaccination as a cornerstone of public health, both internationally and domestically.”
canada’s newly appointed chief public health officer, dr. joss reimer, called measles elimination a “deeply personal topic for me”.
she grew up in winkler, man., which currently has one of the highest rates of measles in the country and, at one point, had the highest rate of measles in the americas.
reimer noted that the majority of recent cases in canada have been in highly connected, under-vaccinated communities, including winkler.
“this moment is very important for us,” she said. “this is a stark reminder of our continued vulnerability to disease.”
paho provided recommendations in order to help canada regain measles elimination status. those include strengthening monitoring and data sharing, combatting misinformation and addressing immunity gaps.
health canada says it is strengthening approaches that target under-vaccinated and vaccine-hesitant populations.
canada’s lack of a comprehensive national immunization registry has been criticized by health experts and others as a critical public health gap that creates a barrier to understanding vaccination coverage and trends.
dr. anne pham-huy, chair of immunize canada and a pediatric infectious disease physician at cheo, said a national registry would make it easier to increase vaccination rates by making it easier to know where the potential pockets of underimmunization are.
she said she is optimistic canada can regain its measles elimination status, “but it is not going to be easy and it definitely will require collaboration.
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“in 2026, we are being reminded that progress in public health can never be taken for granted,” she said. “the recent loss of measles elimination status in canada shows how quickly vaccine-preventable diseases can return when vaccination rates fall and misinformation spreads.”
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