Sleeves Up: York Regional Council receives an update on measles and public health response

Newmarket – York Regional Council, in its role as Board of Health, received an update on the current measles situation and public health response activities in York Region.

As of Tuesday, June 24, 2025, Ontario has reported a total of 2,212 measles cases related to the outbreak affecting many areas in the province. There are 75 additional measles cases associated with travel or an unknown source since 2024. Most cases are in southwestern Ontario and involve individuals who are unvaccinated.

So far this year in York Region, there have been three confirmed measles cases, including one linked to the Ontario outbreak. In addition, York Region identified 25 sites where people may have been exposed to measles, followed up with more than 2,000 individuals and investigated 79 possible cases, connecting them to testing and care.

“There is clearly more work to be done to protect our communities, especially those at high-risk and unable to receive a vaccine,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Eric Jolliffe. “Protecting our communities from measles starts with vaccination. It is a collective effort to ensure the health and safety of our residents, especially the most vulnerable.”

Public Health plays a vital role in keeping communities safe and healthy by:

• Promoting the safety and effectiveness of measles vaccination and expressing the importance of receiving two doses
• Providing free measles vaccines this summer for residents aged 12 months to 55 years who are eligible, overdue or do not have a regular health care provider
• Offering additional childhood vaccines at summer clinics for children aged 12 months to 18 years
• Addressing vaccine hesitancy through community engagement and direct conversations with public health nurses
• Working with York Region health care professionals to ensure they have up-to-date information on measles

“Measles is a serious, but preventable illness with the vaccine being over 97 per cent effective after two doses,” said York Region’s Acting Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Sarah Erdman. “With cases continuing to rise provincially, it is critical we work together to ensure our community is aware of how to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

For the 2024 to 2025 school year, York Region Public Health assessed how many students had received the measles vaccine when entering school (age 7) and leaving school (age 17). The current vaccination rate is about 90%, which is slightly below the 95% needed to prevent measles from spreading in the community.

For more information about measles, including symptoms and who is at risk of becoming infected, visit york.ca/measles and for more information on immunization clinics, visit york.ca/SleevesUp

The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to 1.29 million residents and 57,000 businesses with approximately 624,000 employees. More information about York Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/regionalservices

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Media Contact:

Tamara Ostrowski, Corporate Communications
The Regional Municipality of York
Phone: 1-877-464-9675, ext. 71226
Cell: 905-251-6412
@email