New York warns residents going to Canada: 'Measles is only a car ride away'

New York is warning residents about travelling to Canada amid a measles outbreak. Last week, the New York State Department of Health issued a travel advisory for those who may be crossing the border, especially anyone travelling to Ontario, due to the contagious disease. “Measles is only a car ride away!” says the advisory published on April 2. “Around 90 per cent of people who are exposed to a person with measles will become infected if they are not vaccinated. Because measles is so contagious, it easily crosses borders.” Amid measles outbreak in Ontario, RFK Jr.’s advice has Canadian experts alarmed The number of measles cases in the U.S. this year has already surpassed the total number of cases there in 2024. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which provides weekly updates, says there have been 607 confirmed measles cases in the United States as of April 4. In 2024, there were 285. The advisory for New Yorkers said that the measles have been reported in 20 jurisdictions in the U.S. The majority of the cases were from New Mexico and Texas, and most of those were detected in children who had not been vaccinated. The advisory said that in Canada, the majority of cases are in Ontario. There have been a 560 confirmed measles cases in Ontario in 2025, as of April 2, according to an update about the measles published by Public Health Ontario. (There are an additional 95 cases that are considered “probable.”) The update explained that the most recent outbreak was the result of a “travel-related case in New Brunswick” in October 2024. The outbreak in the eastern province was declared over in January, but the disease had spread to Ontario and Manitoba. Most of the cases detected in those two provinces were linked to the initial outbreak. There have also been cases reported in Quebec , Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan, according to the federal government’s weekly monitoring report . (The total number of confirmed cases across Canada has not been updated to reflect current numbers. It was listed as 615 cases as of March 22.) “The sharp increase in the number of outbreak cases and the geographic spread in recent weeks is due to continued exposures and transmission among individuals who have not been immunized,” according to the health agency. There is currently a “global measles notice”  for all Canadians, issued by the from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). It urges Canadian travellers to “practise health precautions” and to get vaccinated to prevent getting a measles infection. “To be immune, you must be fully vaccinated, or have had a lab-confirmed measles infection before,” the notice says. “In addition to the risks to your own health and that of your family, if you become infected with measles while travelling you may spread it to those who are not vaccinated upon your return to Canada.” Other countries around the world with an increased number of measles cases include Yemen, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Ethiopia, Romania, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, and Vietnam, the New York health department said. The measles spreads through respiratory particles in the air when an “infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes in a space shared with others who are not protected,” PHAC says. The measles can remain in the air for up to two hours. It can spread from person-to-person or by touching contaminated surfaces. Initial symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. A rash develops after three days to a week, first on the face and then spreads to the body. It usually takes two to three weeks to recover, but there can be severe complications, including death.

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