Measles Resurgence in Canada

Morgan Birch found herself in a state of confusion when her four-month-old daughter, Kimie, developed a fever and rash. Initially, Birch thought it might be a common reaction to vaccinations or perhaps chicken pox. However, her grandmother quickly identified the issue, stating, “That’s measles.” Birch was taken aback since she believed measles was a disease of the past.

A lab test confirmed her grandmother’s suspicion: Kimie had measles, likely contracted during a hospital visit in Edmonton just weeks prior. She’s not alone; over 3,800 cases of measles have been reported in Canada in 2025, with a significant number among children and infants. This statistic is almost threefold higher than reported cases in the US despite Canada’s smaller population.

As it stands, Canada is now the sole western country among the top ten with ongoing measles outbreaks, sitting at number eight. Alberta, notably, has the highest per capita rate of measles spread in North America. This situation prompts questions about why the virus appears to be proliferating more rapidly in Canada compared to its neighbor to the south, and whether health authorities there are doing enough to manage it.

In the US, increasing measles cases have been somewhat linked to vaccine-hesitant public figures, such as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has, interestingly, endorsed the vaccine’s safety. Yet, Canada lacks a similar high-profile figure in the realm of public health, as noted by Maxwell Smith, a postdoctoral fellow in public health at Western University. He remarked, “There are other things that need to be interrogated here, I think.”

Measles cases are on the rise not just in North America but also across Europe and the UK. The US recently hit a 33-year high, and England recorded nearly 3,000 confirmed infections in 2024, its highest number since 2012. Canada’s figures in 2025 surpass both these counts, marking the worst outbreak since measles was eliminated in 1998. Before now, the last significant peak was in 2011, with around 750 cases reported.

The MMR vaccine stands out as the most effective safeguard against measles, a highly contagious and potentially deadly virus that can lead to severe complications. The vaccine has a 97% efficacy rate and also protects against mumps and rubella.

How Measles Spread in Canada

Ontario and Alberta have seen the most cases, followed by Manitoba. The outbreak in Ontario is believed to have begun in late 2024, linked to an individual who contracted measles at a large Mennonite gathering in New Brunswick and then returned home. Mennonites, a Christian group with origins in 16th-century Germany and Holland, have settled in various regions, including Canada.

Within Ontario, the illness mainly spread among Low German-speaking Mennonite communities in the province’s southwest, where vaccination rates tend to be lower due to some religious or cultural beliefs against immunization. Public Health Ontario data indicates that nearly all of those infected were unvaccinated.

Catalina Friesen, a healthcare worker at a mobile clinic serving the Mennonite population near Aylmer, first noticed the outbreak in February when a mother and her child came in, originally thought to have an ear infection—in reality, it was a measles symptom. Friesen remarked, “This is the first time I’ve ever seen measles within our community.” The cases escalated rapidly, peaking at more than 200 weekly across Ontario by late April.

While new confirmed cases in Ontario have since declined significantly, Alberta has now become the new hotspot, with health officials struggling to identify the initial source of the outbreak due to its swift spread. Dr. Vivien Suttorp, the medical officer of health in southern Alberta, expressed that she had not encountered such an extensive outbreak in her extensive career.

Interestingly, Friesen pointed out that Canada has a higher concentration of conservative Low German-speaking Mennonites than the US, which might contribute to the increased number of cases. However, she emphasized that not all Mennonites are against vaccines, noting that vaccination hesitancy has been exacerbated by misinformation that has circulated after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There’s hearsay that immunizations are bad for you,” Friesen shared, adding that a general distrust in the healthcare system has set in, partly due to past ostracization of community members. “We are sometimes put down or looked down upon because of our background,” she noted, recounting her own experiences of discrimination in hospitals.

Vaccine Hesitancy on the Rise

Determining why measles has spread more extensively in Canada than in the US isn’t straightforward, but many experts agree that cases in both nations are probably underreported. Dr. Suttorp remarked, “The numbers that we have in Alberta are just the tip of the iceberg.” A significant driver behind the outbreak appears to be low vaccination rates, according to Janna Shapiro, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases.

Shapiro explained that chance plays a significant role, as the virus gets introduced to unprotected communities. “The only thing that is going to stop an outbreak is getting those vaccination rates up,” she insisted. “If the public is not willing to get vaccinated, then it will continue until the virus can’t find any more receptive hosts.”

Studies show that vaccine hesitancy has increased in Canada since the pandemic. In southern Alberta, for example, the number of MMR vaccines administered dropped nearly 50% from 2019 to 2024. Some public pushback during the pandemic, notably against COVID-19 vaccination mandates, contributed to this trend, exemplified by the “Freedom Convoy” protest in Ottawa in 2021.

Dr. Shapiro pointed out that vaccine hesitancy has since broadened to other vaccines, as pandemic-related disruptions left some children behind on their routine immunizations. Families likely did not prioritize keeping children’s vaccinations updated, especially given that measles was largely eliminated. In contrast, Morgan Birch ensured her baby Kimie started routine immunizations as soon as possible, yet she was still too young for the measles vaccine, typically offered at 12 months in Alberta.

In response to the outbreak, Alberta has lowered that age limit, and more people have started to receive the vaccine. Health authorities across Canada have been actively promoting vaccination through public bulletins and radio spots, though the response appears considerably less enthusiastic than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As for Kimie, she is slowly recovering, though Birch continues to monitor her for any potential lasting effects from the virus. Birch felt both saddened and horrified upon learning her daughter had measles, but she also expressed frustration towards those opting out of vaccinations. “My four-month-old shouldn’t have gotten measles in 2025,” she stated, imploring others to heed public health guidelines to protect those unable to protect themselves.