A Threat at the Gate: US and Canada Measles Surge Raising Caribbean Concern

By Eboni Brandon

North America is grappling with one of its worst measles epidemics in decades. The United States recorded 1,288 cases across 39 states in 2025—its highest tally since 1992—with 96% of infections in unvaccinated individuals. Canada has suffered 1,069 cases so far, up tenfold from 2024, with 84% unvaccinated. Many outbreaks trace back to single gatherings and pockets of low vaccine coverage.

Given the Caribbean’s dependence on visitors from North America and the island chain’s reliance on seasonal tourism, the risk of measles arriving via imported cases looms large.

The Real-Life Impact on Families and Communities

Measles isn’t just a childhood rash—it is an airborne disease, with potentially devastating, impact whose particles can linger in school classrooms, church halls, and packed buses. A single infected traveller to our region could ignite devastating chains of transmission.

Imagine a teacher in Basseterre arriving for the new school term after summer holidays. A visiting relative from a U.S. outbreak zone falls ill with measles, unknowingly spreading the virus. Within days, several children and staff develop fevers and rashes. Attendance declines and anxiety mounts. Schools close temporarily as contact tracing begins, and parents scramble for urgent health care.

With measles hospitalisation rates estimated at 11–13% in general populations—and higher among young children—community clinics and hospital wards could quickly become overwhelmed.

The ripple effects would extend beyond health:

Children missing school face learning delays.
Parents forced to stay home to care for sick children lose work hours.
Worry would spread fueled by social media.
Tourism confidence slips, affecting our economy as we continue our post-COVID recovery.

All this from a disease that vaccines prevent.

Protecting Children, Schools, Communities and Economies

Although this represents a dramatic worst-case scenario and the Caribbean is not currently at immediate risk, complacency is not an option. Caribbean nations have been globeal leaders in eliminating measles. By 2015, robust vaccination campaigns had reduced cases to zero. While coverage slipped to around 87% in 2023, recent regional catch-up campaigns have already administered hundreds of thousands of MMR doses, preventing outbreaks from igniting.

Here’s what caregivers and communities can do today:

Ensure Full Immunisation
- MMR vaccine is safe and offers 97% immunity after two doses. It safeguards your child and our society.
Trust Proven Success
- Caribbean vaccination campaigns have saved millions of lives. Today’s vaccines are backed by by the same science that ended measles here.
Join Public Messaging
- Be part of the conversation—share stories, ask questions, support fellow parents in keeping vaccine schedules.
Support Prepared Communities
- Everything cannot be left up to the government—pediatricians, churches and civil society organisations can cooperate with the national healcare system to stage vaccine clinics, share symptom awareness, and discourage misinformation.

Don’t Let History Repeat Itself

A single imported case may threaten more than health—it could disrupt education, economic stability and community wellbeing. Patient zero in your child’s classroom or your work place doesn’t have to be real.

Vaccinating your child isn’t just medical advice—it’s an act of care, community, and prevention. The Caribbean’s success story in immunisation lives on through every family and every dose administered.

Protect your family. Protect our future.

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