As Canada’s measles outbreak continues to grow, the country is at risk of losing its measles elimination status — a bar set by the World Health Organization.

“The risk is substantial,” said Dr. Sarah Wilson, a public health physician with Public Health Ontario who has been tracking the measles outbreak in that province.

Ontario is now reporting more measles cases each week than it once saw over an entire decade, Wilson said. “It is a very different situation than what we experienced in the last decade since measles elimination was achieved,” she said.

Canada’s outbreak began in October 2024. That means if sustained transmission continues until October 2025, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) can revoke the elimination status.

Canada currently has more cases than any other country in the Americas, according to PAHO.

  • HiddenLayer555@lemmy.mlEnglish
    7·
    6 days ago

    Honestly we really just need to make the vaccine mandatory. Don’t want it? Too bad. Don’t participate in society if you don’t have it.

    You don’t get to infect other people with a deadly pathogen that we already know how to prevent while screaming about your own bodily autonomy. That’s not how bodily autonomy works.

    And if you’re refusing to vaccinate your kids, you should be charged with child neglect/endangerment. Because that’s what the hell it is.

    I’ve had it with anti-vax bullshit. Every government and health agency has given them a buffet of carrots. It’s time to bring out the sticks.

    • leftytighty@slrpnk.netEnglish
      2·
      5 days ago

      Our society’s focus on individual privilege and individual rights over the collective well being will be our downfall.

  • Melvin_Ferd@lemmy.world
    4·
    7 days ago

    Why is there never numbers in these articles that show us the numbers? Why is it always just phrased in ways that beat around the bush?

  • Arkouda@lemmy.ca
    20·
    8 days ago

    This is disgusting and not vaccinating your children should be legally declared child abuse.

    We cannot keep allowing the anti vaccination nut jobs to have a say about any of this and if they want to dig in their heels we can decide they aren’t welcome in our public spaces anymore. They can go live in the bush and survive off of their “own research”.