Canada's loss of measles-free status is an embarrassing public health failure. Vaccination rates have plummeted to dangerous levels, and the collapse exposes critical weaknesses in surveillance systems. Attributing the public health failure solely to vaccine misinformation overlooks and excuses the role that those in power played in contributing to it.

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Canada's loss of measles-free status is an embarrassing public health failure. Vaccination rates have plummeted to dangerous levels, and the collapse exposes critical weaknesses in surveillance systems. Attributing the public health failure solely to vaccine misinformation overlooks and excuses the role that those in power played in contributing to it.

Labeling vaccine-related concerns as “disinformation” risks dismissing genuine health concerns and undermines trust. Some people raise questions about documented side-effects or long-term impacts, and treating those voices as bad actors prevents open dialogue, discourages reporting of adverse events and ultimately undermines informed decision-making and personal freedom.