Texas or Ontario, Which Controls Measles Better

When the northern hemisphere experienced unexpected measles outbreaks in 2025, two areas separated by 2,400 miles reported similar challenges but contrasting vaccination rates.

While Canada's Alberta, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Manitoba provinces have reported a limited number of measles cases this year, Ontario has become the overwhelming leader.

As of April 14, 2025, Ontario had reported 816 measles cases (678 confirmed, 138 probable) since mid-October 2024.

In Ontario's rural Southwestern Public Health district, which includes the City of St. Thomas, Elgin County, and Oxford County, 343 measles patients have been confirmed, representing about 40% of all Ontario cases.

Among infants, children, and adolescents in this district located near the city of London, 92.5% of cases were unimmunized, and 62% of adults were unvaccinated.

Ontario's ongoing measles outbreak appears to be a rural challenge as its largest city, Toronto, recently confirmed only its second measles case in 2025, which was linked to an international traveler.

In 2024, with over 6 million residents, Toronto reported only ten measles cases for the year.

The most concerning data point is that Ontario's immunization rates have averaged about 70% during the past few years. This indicates that the highly transferable measles virus is hard to control.

"Ontario's immunization rates are lower than our peer countries in Europe and are down since 2017," stated Dr. Dick Zoutman, an infectious disease specialist, in a press release on April 11, 2025.

"This is a Public Health failure that must be addressed with the utmost urgency."

While in the southern United States, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) has been reporting a similar measles outbreak, primarily in West Texas.

Based on the most recent data, DSHS has identified measles outbreaks in Cochran, Dallam, Dawson, Gaines, Garza, Lynn, Lamar, Lubbock, Terry, and Yoakum counties.

As of April 11, 2025, 541 cases had been confirmed in western Texas since late January, the most in the U.S.

Separately, Houston, one of Texas's megacities with about six million residents, has only reported four measles cases this year.

When comparing vaccination rates against Ontario, Texas has done a better job.

The Annual Report of Immunization Status of (Texas) Students 2023-2024 School Year indicates a statewide vaccination rate exceeding 94%.

However, DSHS says the vaccination status of about 530 people infected during the measles outbreak in West Texas remains unknown.

There is one action item both Ontario and Texas agree with: the best way to prevent getting sick from measles is to be immunized with two doses of the MMR vaccine, which are offered at most pharmacies.