Health minister says she worries about U.S. public health decisions harming Canadians
CBC
Health Minister Marjorie Michel says she worries about how recent actions by U.S. public health agencies, like removing a universal hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for American infants, could hurt Canadians’ health.
"It’s a big worry for me," Michel said in an interview on CBC’s The House that airs Saturday morning. "The U.S. is our closest neighbour. And it’s a big neighbour."
"It’s absolutely crucial to work with provinces and territories to be all on the same page, for example, on vaccination," Michel told host Catherine Cullen.
Last week, a panel of advisers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted to remove the long-standing recommendation to universally vaccinate American infants against hepatitis B.
The vote did not change the guidance to vaccinate babies born to mothers who are positive for hepatitis B.
Members of the panel were hand-selected by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who himself has promoted debunked theories linking vaccines to autism. Kennedy has also recently walked back his claims linking Tylenol and autism.
When asked what kind of damage Kennedy could be causing that could affect Canadians, Michel said that damage can only come to Canada "if we are buying what they are saying" — and that "some" Canadians are indeed buying in.
Michel also said that for decades, the United States was a close, integrated neighbour of Canada but "right now, it's not the case."
"It’s a change in culture, I would say, for the Canadian public. And we have to build trust in science."
Last month, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced Canada was notified it no longer holds measles elimination status as cases continue to rise across the country.
According to federal data, a total of 5,298 measles cases have been reported by provinces and territories in 2025. Ontario accounts for about 45 per cent of those cases, followed by Alberta with about 37 per cent.
Michel said PHAC is pushing to educate the Canadian public on the issue, and she herself is working with organizations on the ground to tackle the ongoing outbreak.
"I don’t want to politicize something that is really talking about the health of Canadians," Michel said. "And this is how I am also working with my critics.… Because we are talking about health and we know we have [the] data and my role is to protect Canadians."
In its announcement, PHAC said Canada can re-establish its measles elimination status "once transmission of the measles strain associated with the current outbreak is interrupted for at least 12 months."
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