Canadian health officials are set to participate in an international meeting this November in Mexico City, concerning the country’s status for measles elimination. The meeting, organized by the Measles and Rubella Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission (RVC) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), is considered more of a formality as Canada is likely to lose its elimination status due to a recent outbreak of the disease.
Canada’s Measles Outbreak
The country has been free of endemic measles for 27 years, however, a recent outbreak, which began last October, has killed at least two people and infected over 5,000 others. In order to retain its elimination status, Canada would have needed to break its chain of homegrown transmission by October 27, a full year since the first locally acquired case was recorded in New Brunswick. Natasha Crowcroft, vice-president of infectious diseases and vaccination programs at the Public Health Agency of Canada, stated last month that it would take “a miracle” for Canada to maintain its status.
While the elimination status is largely symbolic, losing it would serve as a wake-up call for Canada, where the outbreak has strained emergency departments across the country. Hospitals in the most affected areas, already under considerable pressure, have been pushed to their limits, and health resources tasked with controlling and tracking the measles outbreak are stretched thin.
Shrinking Vaccination Rates
One of the main factors contributing to the outbreak is the decline in vaccination rates, which has facilitated the spread of measles. If measles can make a comeback, infectious disease specialists warn that Canada could become a breeding ground for other deadly childhood diseases such as mumps, diphtheria, and polio. This raises a pressing question: How is a country that invested so heavily in public health unable to protect its citizens from a disease thought to be a thing of the past?
Immunologist Dawn Bowdish, a professor of medicine at McMaster University, said it would be a “national embarrassment” for a developed country like Canada to lose its status, especially when the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is widely available. She added, “We’ve been too lenient, too complacent, and, as a result, we don’t have systems in place to stop this from happening.”
Impact of the Outbreak
The measles outbreak has had far-reaching consequences, with cases surfacing in every province except Newfoundland and Labrador. Although the spread of the disease has lessened over the last few months, new infections continue to appear. The revival of measles in Canada and internationally has largely been attributed to lower childhood vaccination rates.
Addressing the Issue
To regain its elimination status, Canada would need to record one continuous year without sustained measles transmission. This will require strengthening existing public health measures and implementing new strategies, such as the creation of a national vaccine registry. It is critical that Canada promotes vaccination and scrutinizes exemption policies, ensuring they are restricted to those with deeply held religious beliefs. Additionally, people and companies should be held accountable for vaccine disinformation.
“This is a critical moment”, Bowdish states, “The time is now to make changes.”
