Canada's About to Catch These Hands from Measles 😬

The Deets

Alright, listen up, fam. Canada's about to take an L and lose its measles-free status. Yeah, you heard that right. After flexing for over 25 years since eliminating measles back in '98, the 'rona pandemic done messed everything up. This outbreak been going on since October 27, 2024, and it's been spreading like wildfire.

Over 5,000 people have caught the measles, and sadly, two infants from Ontario and Alberta, who were infected in the womb, didn't make it. That's a major feels trip, tbh.

So, what's the tea? Why the throwback to diseases we thought were yeet-ed? Well, turns out vaccination rates have been dropping faster than my grades after quarantine. Blame it on misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, and a whole lotta distrust in science. Plus, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in routine immunizations.

The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) is gonna be side-eyeing Canada hard in November, reviewing whether they still deserve that "measles-free" title. Other countries like the US are also catching the measles, so it's a whole global sitch.

Public health officials are stressing the importance of keeping tabs on this sitch with surveillance, catching cases ASAP, and hitting that 95% vaccination coverage goal to bounce back. Venezuela and Brazil lost their measles-free status before, but they clapped back and got it back after about five years, so there's still hope!

Experts are saying we gotta address the vaccine hesitancy, build trust, and answer questions so we can keep outbreaks from happening. There's also some sus vibes about declining vaccination rates for other diseases like polio and whooping cough. Let's get our act together, fam!