Ontario measles outbreak: minister concerned about vaccination rates

Ontario education minister Paul Calandra, who recently took office after a snap election, expressed concern about vaccination rates among students, as a measles outbreak continues to ravage the province. Since the end of 2024, there have been hundreds of cases reported weekly, and the spread of the disease among unvaccinated individuals has raised concerns about vaccination rates in schools. Last week, health authorities reported 155 new measles cases, bringing the total number to 816 since the beginning of the epidemic. In response to the ongoing outbreak, public health units in Toronto, Ottawa, and Waterloo have started looking to suspend thousands of students with an outdated or incomplete vaccination status.
Calandra said he is concerned by low vaccination rates among students in some areas, and he wants to assess the situation with Health Minister Sylvia Jones. He added that he is determined to address the vaccination rates issue, intensifying communication campaigns and using the schools to remark on the importance of vaccinations to students. Meanwhile, opposition parties are pressing the government to implement a stronger response to the outbreak by making the chief medical officer of health available publicly and through an awareness campaign. According to liberal health critic Adil Shamji, underinvestment in public health has hampered vaccination efforts because local authorities lack staffing.