Madrid, November 10 (European Press) –
Canada has lost its status as a measles-free country due to an outbreak that began a year ago and has left more than 5,000 cases so far, health authorities reported Monday.
“Endemic measles transmission has resurfaced in Canada. As a result, the American region has lost its certification as an area free of endemic measles transmission,” Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director Jarbas Barbosa announced.
During his speech, he stressed that the Regional Monitoring and Verification Committee for the Elimination of Measles, Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome “uses very objective criteria” to conclude that a country has lost its certification as a measles-free country.
He explained, “If a country shows sustained transmission for more than 12 months, this is considered a return to measles transmission. (…) When a country loses certification, the entire region loses this certification. However, it should be noted that 34 countries in the Americas maintain their certification as measles-free countries.”
Barbosa noted that although “this loss represents a setback, it is also reversible.” “Until measles is eliminated worldwide, our region will continue to face the risk of the virus spreading among unvaccinated or incompletely immunized populations. However, as we have already demonstrated, through political commitment, regional cooperation and sustained vaccination, it can (…) restore this collective achievement,” he declared.
For their part, the Canadian authorities indicated that the vaccine “is the best way to protect yourself and your family”: “If we remain alert and work together to increase measles vaccination coverage, we can prevent an outbreak and protect our communities from this preventable disease,” the Public Health Agency noted.
In 2021, 5,156 measles cases – of which 4,800 were confirmed, while the rest were classified as “probable” – were recorded in ten regions. In addition, two deaths have been reported in the country, both in cases of congenital measles in people born prematurely.
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