The Cost of Measles

Canada achieved measles elimination in 1998 (1). In the fall of 2025, we lost that status. 

This didn’t happen overnight. Vaccination rates have been slipping for years. In Canada, the percentage of 2-year-olds fully vaccinated against measles dropped from 90.2% in 2019 to 80.4% in 2024, well below the 95% needed to stop outbreaks (2,3). The result? Canada reported over 5,000 measles cases in 2025, including two infant deaths. For comparison, there were just 16 cases reported between 2020 and 2023 in Canada, and around 100 in 2024. About 9 in 10 cases were in people who had not received any vaccine (1,4). 

This isn’t just a Canadian story. In the U.S., vaccination coverage is also declining. About 77% of counties and jurisdictions have seen vaccination rates drop since 2019, and nearly two-thirds are now below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity (5; read more about herd immunity here – 6). If this trend continues, things could get worse quickly. One study estimates that even a 1% yearly drop in vaccination could lead to 17,000 cases, 4,000 hospitalizations, and 36 preventable deaths every year by 2030, with costs reaching at least $1.5 billion annually (7,8).

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on Earth. One infected person can spread it to 9 out of 10 unprotected people nearby. These infections can cause blindness, brain damage, and death, with children under 5 at elevated risk of severe complications (9).

Once herd immunity is lost, outbreaks become harder to control.

Vaccines don’t just protect individuals. They protect entire communities, especially babies and people who can’t be vaccinated.

The good news: two doses of the MMR vaccine are 99% effective (10). We’ve done this before. We can do it again. 💪