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In the wake of a global surge in measles infections and related deaths, health experts are cautioning about the heightened risk of the virus making a comeback in Canada due to declining immunization rates. Recent international data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals an 18% increase in measles infections worldwide in 2022, accompanied by a 43% rise in associated deaths. Alarming outbreaks have been reported in 37 countries.
While the Canadian government issued a global health notice last August, urging travellers to be aware of escalating measles risks worldwide, domestically, the virus has been infrequently encountered, with only 12 cases reported in 2023, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). However, concerns are mounting as immunization rates may have dipped during the COVID-19 pandemic, posing a potential threat of measles resurgence in Canada.
Dr. Joan Robinson, a specialist in pediatric infectious disease, acknowledges Canada's luck so far but warns of an increasing likelihood of more significant outbreaks over the next five years. Measles, a highly contagious but vaccine-preventable virus, poses serious health risks, ranging from respiratory failure to neurological damage and even fatal complications like subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.
Despite the effectiveness of measles vaccines, the WHO and CDC emphasize that a minimum of 95% population-wide immunity is necessary to prevent outbreaks. In Canada, data from 2021 indicates that approximately 92% of two-year-olds received their measles vaccinations. However, concerns arise from potential drops in vaccination rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the introduction of measles vaccines in 1963, Canada has witnessed a substantial decrease in reported infections, with only 16 confirmed cases in the nearly four years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In stark contrast, global estimates from the WHO and CDC reveal over nine million measles cases in 2022, attributed in part to the disruption of regular vaccination protocols during the pandemic.
A significant concern is the decline in global vaccination rates, particularly in low-income countries where the risk of death is higher. The WHO and CDC report highlights that 33 million children missed their first or second dose in 2022 alone, emphasizing the need for a swift recovery in vaccination and surveillance programs globally.
Notably, vaccine hesitancy has been exacerbated by the controversial nature of COVID-19 vaccines, leading to a potential decrease in overall immunization coverage. Dr. Robinson emphasizes the role of social media in amplifying vaccine hesitancy, where individuals tend to follow like-minded opinions, potentially contributing to lower immunization rates.
Despite these challenges, Dr. Robinson points out a unique advantage in the fight against measles: the lack of known transmission between humans and animals. She suggests that similar to efforts to eradicate polio, measles could be eradicated if everyone is immunized.
