North America's measles crisis deepens as outbreaks surge in Canada, Mexico

Even as the United States is grappling to contain a resurgence of measles, the crisis is only deepening with its neighbouring nations responding to their own outbreaks. Canada and Mexico are both dealing with a measles outbreak.

Canada’s worst outbreak in decades

Canada has documented over 730 cases of measles since the beginning of 2025 until the present. This is one of the most severe outbreaks since the country declared the virus eradicated in 1998.

The outbreak, which began in late 2024, has disproportionately affected Anabaptist communities, stated a New York Times report. The NYT report stated that as per Ontario Ministry of Health, Amish and Mennonite groups have been particularly affected. Additionally, the outbreak is believed to be linked with a large Mennonite gathering held in the fall.

Mexico also struggles as virus spreads

The NYT report added that Mexico, in the meanwhile, has reported at least 360 cases. The majority of these occurrences have occurred in the northern state of Chihuahua, with one verified death.

Reportedly, the local health authorities said that the outbreak originated from a nine-year-old in a Mennonite community. The boy, the report stated, had recently travelled to Texas which is reeling under a massive measles outbreak.

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Shared borders, shared risks

Across the United States, more than 700 measles cases have been reported across 24 states. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) verified three cases of measles in Montcalm County, marking the state's first epidemic since 2019.

This outbreak came amid the concerns over low vaccination rates in the region. The report added that nearly 25 per cent of the kids under age three in the County have not received their first dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Although Michigan has seen seven measles cases this year, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has identified at least five other states in the US which are struggling with an outbreak. These states are Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, Kansas, and Indiana. According to the report, Texas leads with more than 560 illnesses and two fatalities among unvaccinated children.

MMR vaccination rates decline

Meanwhile, the reports quoted health experts warning about falling vaccination rates; they said the dip in numbers of vaccination makes it highly vulnerable to continued outbreaks. While there is no religious prohibition against vaccination in Mennonite communities, they do avoid conventional medical care in favour of natural remedies. This resulted in under vaccinated populations that facilitated its spread. The issue compounded due to the drop in vaccination coverage among the public, which provided a protective ‘ring’ around such communities, the reports added.

Dr Lisa Lee, an epidemiologist at Virginia Tech, told NYT that borders offer little protection from viruses like measles. She added that it is just a line on the map which separates the two countries and that the space and air is shared.

She further warned that due to the protective ring around public weakening due to dip in vaccination rates, the disease has spread through communities.

The Pan American Health Organisation, as per the report, echoed this sentiment. They had issued an alert in February and warned that measles elimination status across the Americas is now at risk unless countries strengthened vaccination and outbreak response efforts.

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Public health under pressure

According to the ABC news story, measles outbreak containment is labour and expense intensive. Public health response for each case, the CDC estimates, ranges from $30,000 to $50,000. The budget reductions have further intensified pressure on the containment of outbreaks in the US, such that it is harder for contiguous countries to develop a sufficient response.

FAQs

Q1: Why are Canada and Mexico experiencing measles outbreaks?
Both countries are seeing outbreaks due to declining vaccination rates, especially in tightly-knit communities like Mennonites, and cross-border transmission linked to the massive outbreak in the US.

Q2: Are these outbreaks connected across countries?
Yes. The same virus type has been detected in Canada, Mexico and the United States, indicating cross-border spread likely facilitated by travel among interconnected communities.