OTTAWA — Canada’s multi-jurisdictional measles outbreak has ended, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced October 19, after more than two months without a reported case linked to it.

The outbreak began in October 2024 and involved more than 6,400 cases across 10 provinces and territories, PHAC says. Most people who became ill had not been vaccinated against measles.

Outbreak over does not mean measles is gone

The agency distinguishes this milestone from Canada’s international elimination status, which was lost in late 2025 after sustained transmission. That designation is not automatically restored: PHAC says transmission of the outbreak strain must be interrupted for at least 12 consecutive months.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Joss Reimer cautioned that measles still circulates internationally and that Canada can expect further travel-related cases. The declaration is not an announcement that future infections are impossible.

A national milestone after provincial announcements

The Canadian Press reports that the outbreak began in New Brunswick. Ontario declared its outbreak over last fall, Alberta’s ended in July, and Manitoba’s last laboratory-confirmed case was in August. Those provincial timelines are distinct from the national declaration.

TNC previously reported Manitoba’s October 16 announcement. This story covers the subsequent federal assessment, not a repeat of that provincial decision. The cumulative outbreak figures are not a count of new October infections.

Sources: PHAC’s full October 19 release; The Canadian Press’ full October 19 report, via iNFOnews.

Editorial illustration of measles surveillance paperwork and vaccination supplies. It is not a photograph of an actual patient, clinic or outbreak investigation.