Public health officials are watching the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Vancouver closely because they say the event could bring measles cases into Canada from abroad. With thousands of fans, athletes, and staff expected to move through the city, experts worry that even one imported case could create problems in crowded settings.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has already identified measles as one of the diseases most likely to arrive during the tournament. That concern is driven by the virus itself, since measles spreads through the air very easily, and by the scale of the event, which will draw people from many countries into close contact.
Ontario has released its own infectious disease risk assessment for the World Cup. That review points to international travel, packed venues, and lower vaccination coverage as factors that could make an outbreak more likely. British Columbia has not yet made a public version of its assessment available.
Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, says B.C. should be talking more openly about the risk before visitors arrive. In his view, people need clear reminders to check whether they are protected against measles and to get vaccinated if they are not.
He also believes travelers should understand that measles is already circulating in Canada. For him, the concern is not panic but preparation, especially when a major international event is about to bring large crowds into the city.
The national outbreak is still active
Canada has reported more than 900 measles cases across seven jurisdictions this year, with Alberta and Manitoba accounting for many of the infections. The current outbreak follows a much larger surge last year, when more than 5,000 people became ill. Officials believe that earlier wave began with an imported case in New Brunswick after exposure outside the country.
British Columbia has also seen substantial activity. Provincial data shows 470 measles cases reported during 2025 and 2026, and about 80 percent of those have been in northeastern B.C., where immunization rates are among the lowest in the province.
A reminder from Vancouver’s Olympic history
Experts are also looking back at what happened after the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. In the months after those Games, B.C. recorded a measles outbreak with 82 confirmed cases. The situation is not identical to the one the city faces now, but it shows how a major sporting event can create opportunities for disease to spread.
Conway says the risk feels higher today because vaccination rates have been falling in some parts of British Columbia. He also notes that some of the countries sending visitors, athletes, and supporters to the World Cup may have weaker immunization coverage, which raises the chance that an infected traveler could arrive during the tournament.
How Vancouver health planners are responding
Vancouver Coastal Health says it has been preparing for the World Cup for years. The health authority says it completed a public health risk assessment with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, although the details have not been released publicly.
Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, deputy chief medical health officer with Vancouver Coastal Health, said the assessment placed the measles threat in the medium or moderate range. He added that the region has already dealt with dozens of measles cases imported from other countries during the current outbreak.
Even so, those cases did not lead to sustained local spread. Lysyshyn said strong immunization rates in the Vancouver Coastal Health region have helped stop transmission, and he does not expect one imported case during the World Cup to be much harder to manage.
City officials say emergency plans are ready
The City of Vancouver says it has full operational and emergency management plans in place for the tournament. Officials say they are prepared to respond if any public health or safety issue comes up during the event.
Who faces the biggest risk
Dr. Monika Naus, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health, says large international gatherings always carry some risk. Still, she says the danger to the general public remains limited because most adults are already immune through vaccination or past infection.
Her bigger concern is what happens if measles reaches communities with lower vaccine coverage. In British Columbia, those communities are often clustered in specific geographic areas, which can make transmission easier if the virus gets in.
Why vaccination status matters now
Measles is highly contagious, but it is also preventable with vaccination. That is why public health experts keep repeating the same message ahead of the World Cup: check your records, make sure your shots are current, and do not assume you are protected just because you feel healthy.
For Vancouver, the challenge is simple but serious. The city wants to welcome a global crowd without giving measles a chance to spread any farther.
Canada has lost elimination status for now
The Public Health Agency of Canada said last year that the Pan American Health Organization informed the country it no longer holds measles elimination status. That happens when transmission continues long enough that the virus is no longer limited to isolated imported cases.
Canada can earn that status back if transmission is stopped for a full year.
The practical lesson before kickoff
The World Cup will bring excitement, travel, and packed venues to Vancouver, but health experts say it also brings a basic responsibility: know your vaccination status. That one step can help reduce the chance that a single imported case turns into something larger.
In a city preparing for one of the world’s biggest sporting events, prevention may matter just as much as planning for traffic, crowds, and security.
Measles Warning Grows Ahead of Vancouver’s Big Games
Public health officials are watching the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Vancouver closely because they say the event could bring measles cases into Canada from abroad. With thousands of fans, athletes, and staff expected to move through the city, experts worry that even one imported case could create problems in crowded settings.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has already identified measles as one of the diseases most likely to arrive during the tournament. That concern is driven by the virus itself, since measles spreads through the air very easily, and by the scale of the event, which will draw people from many countries into close contact.
Ontario has released its own infectious disease risk assessment for the World Cup. That review points to international travel, packed venues, and lower vaccination coverage as factors that could make an outbreak more likely. British Columbia has not yet made a public version of its assessment available.
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Why health officials want louder warnings
Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, says B.C. should be talking more openly about the risk before visitors arrive. In his view, people need clear reminders to check whether they are protected against measles and to get vaccinated if they are not.
He also believes travelers should understand that measles is already circulating in Canada. For him, the concern is not panic but preparation, especially when a major international event is about to bring large crowds into the city.
The national outbreak is still active
Canada has reported more than 900 measles cases across seven jurisdictions this year, with Alberta and Manitoba accounting for many of the infections. The current outbreak follows a much larger surge last year, when more than 5,000 people became ill. Officials believe that earlier wave began with an imported case in New Brunswick after exposure outside the country.
British Columbia has also seen substantial activity. Provincial data shows 470 measles cases reported during 2025 and 2026, and about 80 percent of those have been in northeastern B.C., where immunization rates are among the lowest in the province.
A reminder from Vancouver’s Olympic history
Experts are also looking back at what happened after the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. In the months after those Games, B.C. recorded a measles outbreak with 82 confirmed cases. The situation is not identical to the one the city faces now, but it shows how a major sporting event can create opportunities for disease to spread.
Conway says the risk feels higher today because vaccination rates have been falling in some parts of British Columbia. He also notes that some of the countries sending visitors, athletes, and supporters to the World Cup may have weaker immunization coverage, which raises the chance that an infected traveler could arrive during the tournament.
How Vancouver health planners are responding
Vancouver Coastal Health says it has been preparing for the World Cup for years. The health authority says it completed a public health risk assessment with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, although the details have not been released publicly.
Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, deputy chief medical health officer with Vancouver Coastal Health, said the assessment placed the measles threat in the medium or moderate range. He added that the region has already dealt with dozens of measles cases imported from other countries during the current outbreak.
Even so, those cases did not lead to sustained local spread. Lysyshyn said strong immunization rates in the Vancouver Coastal Health region have helped stop transmission, and he does not expect one imported case during the World Cup to be much harder to manage.
City officials say emergency plans are ready
The City of Vancouver says it has full operational and emergency management plans in place for the tournament. Officials say they are prepared to respond if any public health or safety issue comes up during the event.
Who faces the biggest risk
Dr. Monika Naus, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health, says large international gatherings always carry some risk. Still, she says the danger to the general public remains limited because most adults are already immune through vaccination or past infection.
Her bigger concern is what happens if measles reaches communities with lower vaccine coverage. In British Columbia, those communities are often clustered in specific geographic areas, which can make transmission easier if the virus gets in.
Why vaccination status matters now
Measles is highly contagious, but it is also preventable with vaccination. That is why public health experts keep repeating the same message ahead of the World Cup: check your records, make sure your shots are current, and do not assume you are protected just because you feel healthy.
For Vancouver, the challenge is simple but serious. The city wants to welcome a global crowd without giving measles a chance to spread any farther.
Canada has lost elimination status for now
The Public Health Agency of Canada said last year that the Pan American Health Organization informed the country it no longer holds measles elimination status. That happens when transmission continues long enough that the virus is no longer limited to isolated imported cases.
Canada can earn that status back if transmission is stopped for a full year.
The practical lesson before kickoff
The World Cup will bring excitement, travel, and packed venues to Vancouver, but health experts say it also brings a basic responsibility: know your vaccination status. That one step can help reduce the chance that a single imported case turns into something larger.
In a city preparing for one of the world’s biggest sporting events, prevention may matter just as much as planning for traffic, crowds, and security.
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