Ottawa, Measles outbreak in southern Ontario and Quebec

In the Grand Erie Public Health region of southern Ontario, including Norfolk County, there have now been 37 confirmed measles cases. With measles cases rising in parts of Canada, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is completing vaccinations for children and youth who are not yet immunized and is sending approximately 11,000 incomplete vaccination notices to families of students in the city to encourage parents to complete their children’s vaccinations. In 2024, OPH administered over 23,000 routine vaccinations and established a virtual hub to enhance public access to vaccination information. To promote compliance with Ontario’s student vaccination laws and prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, OPH plans to issue suspension notices to students whose vaccination records remain incomplete even after contact with public health authorities, as stated by Arnason, OPH’s health officer. A 2024 report by OPH revealed a substantial decline in routine childhood vaccination rates, with 61.3% of students monitored by OPH being overdue for vaccinations at the start of the 2024-2025 school year. This has led to an increase in cases of infection since the beginning of the year, with the majority of these cases involving individuals who are unvaccinated or undervaccinated, as reported by the Public Health Agency of Canada.