Canada loses measles-free status as anti-vax ignorance spreads faster than the virus
Canada’s 26-year streak of keeping measles at bay has officially ended, thanks to falling vaccination rates and a virus that apparently found better travel deals than most Canadians. The Pan American Health Organization announced Monday that Canada no longer qualifies as “measles-free,” after a year of continuous outbreaks that sickened over 5,000 people and killed two infants.
Canada has logged 5,138 measles cases this year and two deaths. Both were babies who were exposed to the measles virus in the womb and born prematurely.
Measles elimination is a symbolic designation, but it represents a hard-won battle against the infectious disease. It is earned when a country shows it stopped continuous spread of the virus within local communities, though occasional cases might still pop up from travel.
AP
Health officials say the reversal marks a grim milestone in a region once celebrated for wiping out the disease entirely in 2016. However, with vaccination rates dipping below the 95% threshold required to halt transmission, and misinformation spreading virally, the Americas are once again facing measles outbreaks that span from Canada to Mexico. Experts warn the United States may be next to lose its “elimination” bragging rights, proving that no border can stop a virus or a bad Facebook post.
The measles outbreaks in Texas, Canada, and Mexico have all revolved around Mennonite communities. While the Mennonite church does not discourage vaccination, many of its adherents choose to put their children at risk.