By Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Measles is an airborne disease caused by a virus. It can lead to severe health complications and even death. According to the World Health Organization, the measles vaccination has averted about 59 million deaths worldwide between 2000 and 2024. The vaccine is safe and effective.
The “Statement from the Public Health Agency of Canada on Canada’s Measles Elimination Status” from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) reported on November 10, 2025, that Canada was experiencing a “large, multi-jurisdictional outbreak of measles” beginning in October, 2024.
Protection for oneself and one’s loved ones from measles is simple: The measles vaccine. It prevents outbreaks and helps prevent illness. This is a preventable disease. The cases have been found in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported that the PHAC confirmed: Canada no longer holds measles elimination status. The PAHO Measles and Rubella Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-Verification Commission confirmed the sustained transmission of the measles virus in Canada for more than a year.
Health Ministers in October 2025 were briefed on the measles status of the country. They reportedly committed to working together and discussing coordinated actions, including community engagement.
The Canadian Medical Association reported that 9 in 10 Canadians search online for health advice based on the 2026 Health and Media Tracking Survey. If AI-generated health information enters into this, then real health risks can emerge from misinformation spread by current AI systems.
False health information can move faster and wider than credible medical advice. This creates confusion and undermines trust in experts. People who followed health advice from AI were five times more likely to experience harm than those who did not. Access to care is part of the problem, i.e., people go to AI-sourced medical information when proper care is inaccessible or harder to acquire.
85% of respondents found physicians to be the most trustworthy source of information. Therefore, better access to care would mean Canadians would lean on reliable health information, which they already find more reliable anyway, i.e., physicians. American misinformation and the rise of misinformation are major concerns for Canadians.
Health Minister Marjorie Michel warned against U.S. health and science institution-linked information now. Although, some positive skeptical signs include 69% of Canadians reporting skepticism toward online information, with growing awareness and caution.
87% want social media companies to stop spreading false information, and 90% believe the government should address this. The CMA has submitted recommendations of strengthening trust, protecting privacy, and improving health care, per the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada October, 2025 submission.
Governments working to rid the internet of misinformation and false information would be quite the magnum opus.