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First modification: 02/13/2026 - 17:55 Last modification: 02/13/2026 - 17:56
The return of measles in America, with cases increasing since 2025 in Canada, Mexico and the United States, shows the drop in vaccination coverage and once again turns on alerts in the region, just as the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches. In El Debate de France 24 we analyze it together with health experts to understand what is behind this decline and what the risks are.
Measles once again turns on alerts in America. A disease that in 2016 led the region to be declared free of endemic transmission, today has registered a sustained rebound in cases since 2025, with outbreaks that began in Canada and were later surpassed in number by Mexico, while the United States remains among the most affected.
The resurgence occurs at a particularly sensitive time: on the eve of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will bring together millions of people in the region. The spread of the virus is not limited to North America.
Infections have also been confirmed in Bolivia, Paraguay and Belize, which shows that the problem is regional.
Read alsoMexico registers 9,074 cases of measles, the highest rate in America
The common factor behind this rebound is the drop in vaccination coverage: although measles can be prevented with two doses, many countries are far from reaching the 95% necessary to guarantee herd immunity and stop the circulation of the virus.
In this broadcast of El Debate we ask ourselves: if there is a vaccine, why is a preventable disease on the rise?
Our experts analyze whether the rebound in measles is due to the lack of tools, gaps in access, misinformation that has weakened immunization campaigns and even the political responsibility and responsibility of health authorities in the implementation and effectiveness of vaccination programs based on a two-dose scheme.
Concern increases with the spread characteristics of the disease. This was explained by Dr. Hugo López-Gatell, epidemiologist and former Undersecretary of Health of Mexico.
“Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world: a single person can transmit it to up to more than 35 people, unlike influenza, which on average infects three,” López-Gatell, medical epidemiologist.
The challenge, they warn, is not only to contain the current outbreaks, but to regain citizen trust and increase vaccination coverage to prevent a preventable disease from taking root again on the continent.
They accompany us in the analysis:
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