Dentists’ Role in Measles Prevention Canada is dealing with its largest measles outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in 1998, with over 4,000 confirmed cases reported across several provinces, according to Dr. Marina Salvadori, senior medical advisor with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and professor in the division of pediatric infectious diseases at McGill University. “The outbreak began in October 2024 when someone visited from overseas for a wedding in New Brunswick attended by a large group of people who are generally under-vaccinated or unvaccinated,” she says. The celebration, part of a tightly knit Anabaptist community, is believed to be the epicentre of sustained transmission. The outbreak has since spread within other undervaccinated communities in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Texas and Chihuahua, Mexico, with occasional spillover into the general population. Dr. Salvadori notes that about 94% of infections are among unvaccinated people and about 75% of cases are among minors under age 18. While most cases remain contained within the affected communities, the scale of the outbreak is unprecedented in modern Canadian public health. “By far, this is the largest outbreak we’ve had in our professional lives,” she says. The primary driver of the outbreak, Dr. Salvadori explains, is low vaccine uptake among certain groups. Large gatherings, including events marking the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement, have created ideal conditions for transmission. Although this outbreak is concentrated in specific populations, Dr. Salvadori cautioned about other demographic vulnerabilities, including children who missed routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic and have not yet caught up, as well as growing vaccine hesitancy fuelled by misinformation, political polarization and pandemic fatigue. “Only vaccination can prevent large outbreaks,” she says. The primary driver of the outbreak is low vaccine uptake among certain groups. Large gatherings have created ideal conditions for transmission. Dr. Marina Salvadori 13 Issue 5 | 2025 |
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