March 16, 2024
As measles cases keep appearing in more parts of the country, projections suggest there's a high chance Canada may experience a sizable outbreak - with anywhere from dozens to thousands of people infected if the disease strikes communities with low vaccination rates. As of Mar. 15, at least 31 cases were reported across Canada - the largest annual total since 2019 and more than double the number of cases reported last year. Medical experts fear the number will rise while more Canadians travel in and out of the country for March break. Canada's overall MMR vaccination rate is falling and it hit a low point mid-pandemic. In 2021, only 79% of children had two doses by their seventh birthday. That's down from 87% just four years earlier.