A highly contagious disease once vanquished by vaccination is now on the brink of officially returning to North America. Canada is expected to lose its measles elimination status, and the U.S. might possibly soon follow.

This week, Canada reported new cases of measles tied to an ongoing outbreak—one that began 12 months ago. The year of continuous transmission means that Canada will almost certainly lose its measles-free designation, experts say. And though the largest outbreaks of measles in the U.S. this year have officially ended, the country could potentially still lose its status in 2026, too.

“As of today, it seems very, very likely that Canada will lose its measles elimination status, while the United States is also at substantial risk in the next 3 months,” Sten Vermund, chief

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