Canada has formally lost its measles elimination status, the country’s public health agency announced Monday, meaning all of the Americas have lost that status as well.
The decision, which was widely expected, comes after a meeting last week where an expert committee of the Pan American Health Organization determined that a large measles outbreak that began in Canada in October 2024 was still ongoing, more than 12 months after it started.
It is reversible – if the country sees zero cases of measles in the next 12 months. However, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, and the US are currently battling ongoing measles spread, and the US is likely to lose its elimination status soon.