Canada

TORONTO — Canada is poised to lose its international status as a measles-free country now that an outbreak that began in New Brunswick and spread to other provinces has hit the one-year mark.

The country eliminated measles in 1998 and maintained that status for more than 25 years, meaning there was no ongoing community transmission and new cases were travel-related.

But since Oct. 27, 2024, the virus has spread to more than 5,000 people in Canada, including two infants in Ontario and Alberta who were infected with measles in the womb and died after they were born.

Public health and infectious disease experts attribute the return of measles to declining vaccination rates, stemming from misinformation-fuelled vaccine hesitancy and distrust of science, as well as the disruption of routine immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I contracted measles in grade one, shortly before I was to receive the scheduled vaccine. Despite being healthy, I became really ill. It was the only time my mother called a doctor (house calls back then). It’s really sad that Canada was a measles-free country—and now we’re not. Misinformation, lack of education.

another usian peanut gallery but since we don't have anything I have been like. Man the least we can do is make vaccines free as a way to encourage thier use. The return on investment is huge and it just makes sense. I also feel covering twice or at least once a year dental cleanings would pay off big time. I really feel a lot of health starts in the mouth. Yeah other dental care would be good but it would be easy to have a contracted cleaning rate and there are no worries about a provider trying to do unnecessary things since its preventative. Heck add in any blood tests that are good bang for the buck price wise. I think the thing is that since its like once a year in most cases its easy to know the costs and estimate the benefit.

Friendly reminder that Canada was a global leader in various vaccines until Mulroney privatized Connaught labs in the 80's. Profits over public health has been the MO for the last 40 years

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Perhaps we forgot that after changing to grams and kilograms.

if anyone is paying for a vaccine other than for travel it should be free for all canadians of all backgrounds.

Because I am AMAB and had a M on my healthcare at the time the HPV vaccine cost me money. I was one of the first if not the first person with the M on my health card in Canada who was not in the study run by health Canada. It cost me something north of $100, I wish it would have just been in the schedule of vaccines given out but since then every few years I make sure that I am up to date on my vaccines. I have gotten the flu shot every year for the past 15 or so years because I do not want to be the reason someone else gets sick, I wish everyone could think like that.

Ever since 2018 I have been getting a flu shot every year, too. Why? In 2018 I had the worst flu ever. It was BAD. Arguably worse than even the one time I got covid in 2022 (despite being twice vaccinated for that at the time). The horror of that flu made me never want to get the flu again.

I did... but it was never that bad.