Miles Morrisseau
ICT

Nearly 30 years after Canada was declared measles-free it has lost that designation as the highly contagious disease continues to spread across North America.

On Monday, Nov. 10, the Pan American Health Organization, an agency of the United Nations, declared that Canada no longer holds measles-elimination status. The organization reviewed recent epidemiological and laboratory data, confirming sustained transmission of the same measles virus strain in Canada for a period of more than one year.

The move makes Canada the only country among the organization’s members that does not hold measles-free status, but raises questions about whether the United States and Mexico might be next on the list to lose status.

All three countries have faced a rising number of measles cases and a decline in vaccinations in the past year. The United States has until the end of January to stop its spread of measles, and Mexico has until the end of February, according to the Pan American Health Organization.

“It’s a really unfortunate change that we have experienced, no longer being measles free,” First Nation pharmacist Jaris Swidrovich told ICT. “A lot of factors have contributed to this, and much of that I would attribute to misinformation and disinformation that has rapidly been spread around social media.”

Swidrovich, Ukrainian and Saulteux from the Yellow Quill First Nation, is a pharmacist and assistant professor and Indigenous engagement lead at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Pharmacy.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that is characterized by spots and rash, high fever and coughing. It can lead to complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, hearing loss and blindness. Two infants who contracted the illness before they were born, are among those who died in Canada’s current outbreak.

The Public Health Service of Canada issued a statement saying it would work to improve vaccination rates and data sharing. Officials have said 95 percent of the population needs to be immunized to stop the spread of the virus, the BBC reported.

Canada has reported more than 5,000 measles cases in 2025, mostly in what officials called “under-vaccinated communities” in the provinces of Ontario and Alberta. To regain its status, officials must curtail the spread of the virus for at least 12 months.

The U.S. is also reporting related cases in Utah, Arizona and South Carolina, according to the BBC.

Reasons for suspicions

Swidrovich said social media and misinformation is contributing to an anti-vax movement in Canada. And while the internet may be filled with conspiracies about medical experimentation with vaccines and surgeries, in the Indigenous communities those stories are reality, he said.

“Indigenous peoples were experimented on with the BCG vaccine for tuberculosis. Here in Canada, we were experiments,” Swindorich said. “In the H1N1 pandemic, while the rest of the country was receiving kits, hand sanitizers, masks, vaccinations, in some of our Indigenous communities, all that we received were body bags.”

In September 2024, the Canadian Medical Association issued an apology to Indigenous people for harms done by the medical system and medical practitioners. The apology referenced a history of medical experimentation on Indigenous children in residential schools, including studying the effects of malnourishment and withholding necessary care.

Medical experimentation was also conducted on Indigenous adults, including studying the effects of nutritional interventions and testing experimental tuberculosis vaccines and treatments. The CMA also acknowledged that the full extent of medical experimentation on Indigenous peoples is still unknown. 

“With the medical system at large, irrespective of vaccinations, we still have ongoing forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women in Canada. So this is not just a historical thing, “ said Swidrovich . “It is the history, but also the current practice. Indigenous people still die as a result of racism in the medical system.”

Much of the ant-vax movement was fomented during the COVID-19 pandemic, and based on Canada’s history, it did raise concerns with Swidrovich.

“With this brand new disease, COVID-19, a brand new vaccination using brand new technology, to hear that we were suddenly prioritized for being first in line to receive the vaccination, it felt again, like we were being experimented on,” he said.

“Even though the pharmacist in me, the healthcare provider in me, the researcher in me, knows all the wonderful reasons why Indigenous peoples were prioritized and I think appropriately so, we just haven’t had enough exposure to the good side of this story.”

Seek out trusted advice

Despite ongoing concerns with the Canadian medical system, Swidrovich is a supporter of vaccines and believes that Indigenous peoples concerns must be acknowledged when instituting a vaccination campaign. 

“And now with this situation with the measles, who knows what this is going to look like? Who knows where we’ll start seeing cases pop up, and what the messaging might look like for the general population,” Swindrovich said. “We certainly need to collaborate with Indigenous peoples and all of the messaging related to this issue.”

In Manitoba, which has a high Indigenous population and is one of the hot spots for measles in the country,  priority vaccinations were announced for people who were evacuated during this year’s wildfire season. Often designated a vulnerable population, Swindrovich counters that Indigenous people have been “made vulnerable.”

“Indigenous peoples are not inherently vulnerable to anything except racism essentially, and it’s the results of racism that has made us vulnerable to various medical conditions or experiences,” Swindrovich said. “It was a bit contradictory to feel like we were being prioritized, while at the same time, some of our communities still don’t have safe enough drinking water or water that’s not even safe enough to bathe in in Canada.”

As the country commits to regaining its measles-free designation Swindrovich reminds people to seek out trusted medical advice.

“I would always defer to what I’d call the experts in the area, and not take any medical information from comment sections or non-reputable news sources,” Swindrovich said. “Often a good clue is that if you get 20 different pop-ups of different ads when you’re opening a particular web page, well, that’s probably not one of those reputable news sources that are made for the public.”

He said pharmacists are good sources of the latest information and as health care professionals who are accessible.  

“The average patient visits their pharmacist about 14 times per year versus their primary care provider two times per year. So we’re everywhere. We’re highly trusted, we’re highly accessible,” he said. “This is absolutely our area of expertise. So walk into a pharmacy, call up a pharmacy. You’ll be able to talk to someone probably within a minute. And this is a licensed, regulated healthcare professional who’s prepared to answer your questions, not only in general, but specifically tailored to you, your medical conditions, your medications, your family, etc.”

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