Health officials are urging caution as Vancouver prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches, with measles emerging as one of the main public health concerns. The worry is not the tournament itself, but the large flow of international travelers that can bring the virus into crowded venues and shared transit spaces.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has flagged measles as a likely import during the event because the disease is still circulating in many countries and spreads very easily through the air. Ontario has already released a risk assessment that points to travel, dense crowds, and lower vaccination coverage as factors that can increase the chance of an outbreak. British Columbia has not yet made its own public assessment available.
Why Officials Are Paying Close Attention
Measles is highly contagious, and even brief exposure in the right setting can lead to transmission. That is why a major international sports event draws attention from health planners. The concern is not limited to fans inside stadiums. Airports, hotels, transit lines, restaurants, and fan zones can all become points of exposure.
Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, said the province should be communicating more clearly before visitors arrive. In his view, people need to know whether they are protected and should update their vaccines if they are not. He also said visitors should understand that Canada is already seeing active measles transmission.
The Current Situation Across Canada
Canada has recorded more than 900 measles cases in seven jurisdictions so far this year. Alberta and Manitoba have reported the largest share. The latest wave follows a much larger outbreak last year, when more than 5,000 infections were recorded nationwide.
That earlier outbreak is believed to have begun with a case in New Brunswick in fall 2024 after exposure outside the country. In British Columbia, provincial data shows 470 cases across 2025 and 2026, with about 80 percent concentrated in northeastern B.C., where vaccination rates are among the lowest in the province.
| Location | Recent Measles Picture | Main Concern |
|---|---|---|
| Canada overall | More than 900 cases this year | Ongoing spread in multiple jurisdictions |
| British Columbia | 470 cases in 2025 and 2026 | Clusters in lower-immunized communities |
| Vancouver region | No major sustained spread so far | Imported cases during a large event |
History Offers a Reminder
Public health experts say Vancouver has faced a similar challenge before. After the 2010 Winter Olympics, British Columbia recorded a measles outbreak with 82 confirmed cases. The circumstances were different, but the lesson remains the same: large international gatherings can create the kind of movement and contact patterns that help contagious diseases spread.
Conway said the risk is more pressing now because vaccination rates have fallen in some parts of the province. He also noted that some countries sending athletes, fans, and support teams may have lower immunization coverage than Canada, which raises the chance that an infected traveler could arrive during the tournament.
Local Health Agencies Say They Are Ready
Vancouver Coastal Health says planning has been underway for years. The authority has completed a public health risk assessment with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, but the results have not been released publicly.
Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, deputy chief medical health officer with Vancouver Coastal Health, said the measles risk for the tournament was rated medium or moderate. He added that the region has already handled many imported measles cases during the current outbreak without seeing sustained local spread.
According to Lysyshyn, strong immunization coverage in the Vancouver Coastal Health region has helped stop chains of transmission. He does not expect an imported case tied to the World Cup to be unusually difficult to manage.
Who Faces the Highest Risk
Dr. Monika Naus, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health, said large events always carry some infectious disease risk. Still, she said the broader public risk is limited because most adults are already immune through vaccination or previous infection.
The greater danger, she said, is when measles reaches communities where vaccine coverage is low. In British Columbia, those areas tend to be clustered and geographically concentrated, which can allow the virus to move quickly once it gets in.
That is why health officials continue to focus on prevention instead of response alone. For most people, the issue is not panic. It is making sure protection is already in place before crowds arrive.
Why Vaccination Checks Matter Now
Canada lost its measles elimination status last year after the Pan American Health Organization determined that transmission was no longer limited to isolated imported cases. A country can regain that status only after transmission is interrupted for a full year.
For residents and visitors heading to World Cup events, checking vaccination records is one of the simplest ways to lower risk. Measles is very contagious, but it is also vaccine-preventable. The more people who are protected, the less likely an imported case will grow into something larger.
As Vancouver prepares for a global spotlight, health officials are trying to strike a balance between excitement and caution. The goal is not to dampen the event, but to keep a preventable disease from turning it into a public health problem.