Health officials in British Columbia are urging caution as Vancouver prepares to welcome visitors for the FIFA World Cup, warning that measles could travel into the city with international arrivals and spread quickly in the right conditions. The concern is not about the tournament itself creating disease, but about what can happen when a highly contagious virus meets large crowds, busy transit routes, and uneven vaccination coverage.
The public health concern has grown because measles is still active in many countries and remains one of the most easily transmitted infections known. A single imported case can become a larger problem if it reaches people who are not fully protected. That is why the World Cup, with its constant movement of fans, athletes, staff, and media, is drawing attention from disease experts even before the first match kicks off.
Canada’s federal health agency has already flagged measles as one of the illnesses most likely to be brought into the country during the event. Ontario has released a detailed risk assessment that points to travel volume, crowded venues, and falling vaccination rates as a combination that could increase outbreak risk. British Columbia has completed its own planning, but the province has not yet shared a public version of its findings.
Why experts are watching the tournament so closely
Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, says the lack of visible public messaging in British Columbia is a concern. In his view, residents and visitors need clearer reminders now, before stadiums fill and the city becomes much busier. He argues that people should check whether they are immune, confirm their vaccination records, and make any needed updates before the crowds arrive.
Conway also wants travelers to understand the broader context: Canada is already seeing active measles transmission. In practical terms, that means the World Cup is not happening in a low-risk vacuum. It is taking place while the virus is already circulating in the country, which gives any imported case more opportunities than usual to find new hosts.
The warning is especially relevant for families, young adults, and visitors who may assume measles is no longer a real threat. Public health leaders keep coming back to the same point because the pattern is familiar: when people postpone routine immunization or forget their status, a highly contagious disease can gain ground quickly.
A look at the numbers across Canada and British Columbia
Canada has already reported more than 900 measles cases across seven jurisdictions this year, with Alberta and Manitoba accounting for the largest share. Those numbers matter because they show that the virus is not just a theoretical import risk; it is already moving through parts of the country.
The outbreak follows an even larger surge last year, when more than 5,000 people became infected. Health authorities believe that wave began after an exposed traveler brought the virus into New Brunswick in the fall of 2024. From there, transmission spread further, illustrating how quickly measles can move once it gains a foothold.
British Columbia’s own data show 470 cases reported during 2025 and 2026. Roughly 80 percent of those cases have been concentrated in northeastern B.C., where vaccination coverage is among the lowest in the province. That geographic clustering is important because measles does not spread evenly; it tends to move fastest where there are pockets of under-immunized people.
| Location | Reported measles cases | Important context |
|---|---|---|
| Canada overall | More than 900 this year | Cases spread across seven jurisdictions |
| British Columbia | 470 in 2025 and 2026 | Most cases tied to northeastern communities |
| Last year’s national surge | More than 5,000 | Believed to have started with an imported exposure |
History offers a warning for Vancouver
Health experts are also looking back at what happened after the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In the aftermath of that major event, British Columbia recorded a measles outbreak that included 82 confirmed cases. The setting was different, but the lesson remains useful: large international gatherings can create the kind of movement and exposure patterns that infectious diseases exploit.
Conway says the current situation may be harder to manage than the one Vancouver faced years ago because vaccination rates have slipped in parts of the province. He also points out that some countries sending athletes, fans, and support crews to the World Cup may have even lower immunization levels. If that is the case, the odds of an imported measles case rise, and so does the need for quick public health response.
This does not mean the city should expect a crisis. It does mean officials should treat prevention as the default strategy rather than waiting for a case to appear and then reacting under pressure.
Local agencies say they are prepared
Vancouver Coastal Health says planning for the World Cup has been underway for years. The health authority reports that it has completed a public health risk assessment together with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, although the results have not been made public.
Dr. Mark Lysyshyn, the deputy chief medical health officer with Vancouver Coastal Health, said the assessment placed measles risk for the tournament in the medium, or moderate, range. He added that the health authority has already dealt with dozens of imported measles cases during the current outbreak. According to Lysyshyn, those cases have not led to sustained local spread in the region.
He credits strong immunization coverage in the Vancouver Coastal Health area for helping stop onward transmission. In his view, that protection should make an imported case during the World Cup manageable rather than overwhelming, provided response measures remain prompt and organized.
What the city is promising during the event
The City of Vancouver says it has broad operational and emergency plans in place for the tournament. Officials say those plans are designed to handle a wide range of public health and safety issues if they come up during the event.
That kind of preparation matters because a city hosting a global sports spectacle has to think beyond the matches themselves. Transportation hubs, hotels, fan zones, and public gathering spaces all create added pressure on local systems. Even if measles does not appear, the city still needs the ability to respond quickly if any health issue emerges.
Who faces the greatest risk if measles arrives
Dr. Monika Naus, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health, says large international events always carry some infectious disease risk. Still, she believes the broader public remains relatively well protected because most adults are already immune through vaccination or prior infection.
Her main concern is not the average adult fan walking into a stadium. It is the possibility that measles reaches communities where vaccination rates are lower and transmission can take hold more easily. In British Columbia, those vulnerable areas tend to be geographically clustered, which can make outbreaks more concentrated and harder to contain once they begin.
That pattern is why public health officials keep emphasizing immunization status. The threat is not evenly distributed, and the people most exposed are often those least protected.
Canada’s elimination status has already been lost
The Public Health Agency of Canada said last year that the Pan American Health Organization informed Canada it no longer has measles elimination status. That designation is removed when transmission continues for a prolonged period instead of staying limited to a few imported cases.
Canada can regain that status, but only if transmission is interrupted for a full year. Until then, officials are working in a public health environment where measles remains a real domestic concern rather than a problem that is simply imported and contained.
For residents and travelers, the message is straightforward. Confirm vaccination history, pay attention to symptoms after travel, and do not assume that a major event like the World Cup is only a sporting story. In Vancouver, it is also a test of how well public health systems can keep a preventable disease from spreading further.
