Explosive global measles outbreaks pose risk to Canadian travellers, health officials warn

The global spread of measles shows no signs of slowing down in 2026, including explosive outbreaks in travel hot spots like the southern U.S. and Mexico, prompting warnings from public health officials for Canadians to check their vaccination status before heading abroad this winter.

Mexico has reported more than 2,700 new cases so far this year, government data shows, with most infections detected among infants and young children. Meanwhile, more than 900 new confirmed cases have been identified across the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Measles case counts are soaring in Florida, fuelled by an outbreak involving roughly 60 cases at a university near Naples on the southwest coast, alongside a fast-growing outbreak in South Carolina that’s the country’s largest since the disease was eliminated more than two decades ago, with hundreds of infections reported to date. 

Dozens of new infections have also been reported here in Canada to start the year, including a growing cluster of more than 70 cases and counting in Manitoba, mere months after the country lost its measles elimination status following a massive outbreak throughout 2025.

Speaking to CBC News, acting Chief Public Health Officer for Canada Dr. Natasha Crowcroft — who was previously the senior advisor on measles for the World Health Organization — said that the return of measles in Canada led to "devastating" impacts for many families.

Some children acquired brain infections or became deaf, and more than 30 children ended up needing intensive care during last year’s surge, she said. Two pre-term infants in Canada also died in 2025 after acquiring measles before birth.

With March Break travel around the corner, keeping more cases out of the country remains paramount in preventing additional outbreaks, Crowcroft stressed.

"When you go to check your passport, check your vaccination status," she urged. "Things are going wrong in so many places … and one of the things that's a bit different about the situation is it's affecting countries that you don't normally think of as being a risk for measles."

During the first three weeks of the year, the Americas witnessed a 40-fold spike in measles cases compared to the same period in 2025, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) announced in early February. 

Many European nations — such as the U.K., which also recently lost its elimination status — now also pose a heightened measles risk.

This highly contagious, airborne disease remains a potentially deadly threat, particularly for young children, pregnant individuals and anyone with a weakened immune system. While most people do recover, measles can range in severity, from a telltale rash to serious complications such as respiratory failure and permanent brain damage. 

Health officials and medical experts pin the return of measles on multiple factors, including a rise in anti-vaccine sentiment and backsliding in routine childhood immunizations throughout many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Investments in public health and immunization programs are crucial to keep measles in check, said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, a senior public health advisor for the Los Angeles-based community health centre Wellness Equity Alliance and a former executive with the CDC. 

Unfortunately in the U.S., the public health system has been "demolished" in recent years, creating mistrust in the public and an "ecosystem where people won’t get vaccinated," said Daskalakis. That situation continues to have a spillover effect, driving global rhetoric that vaccines can’t be trusted, he added.