Madrid November 10 (Europe Press) –
Health officials reported Monday that Canada has lost its status as a measles-free country due to the measles outbreak that began a year ago, with more than 5,000 cases to date.
“Endemic measles transmission has been re-established in Canada. As a result, the Region of the Americas has lost its status as an area free of endemic measles transmission,” declared Gervase Barbosa, director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
In his speech, he stressed that the Regional Monitoring and Revalidation Committee for the Elimination of Measles, Rubella and Congenital Rubella Syndrome “uses very objective criteria” to conclude that a country has lost its measles-free status.
“Measles transmission is considered to have recurred when a country has been continuously infected for more than 12 months,” he explained.
“This loss represents a setback, but it is also recoverable,” Barbosa recalled. “Until measles is eliminated worldwide, our region will continue to face the risk of virus spread among unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated populations. But as we have already proven, with political commitment, regional cooperation and continued vaccination, the region can (…) restore this collective achievement,” he declared.
Canadian officials reminded that vaccines are “the best way to protect ourselves and our families,” and public health officials suggested that “if we remain vigilant and work together to increase measles vaccination rates, we can prevent outbreaks and protect our communities from this preventable disease.”
In 2021, 5,156 measles cases were recorded in 10 regions, of which 4,800 were confirmed and the rest were classified as ‘suspected’. Furthermore, two deaths have been reported in Japan, both of which were caused by congenital measles in premature babies.
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