Toronto Public Health has issued a worrying new travel warning to Ontarians

Toronto Public Health has issued a worrying new travel warning, advising Ontarians that measles is just a "plane ride away" amid an increasing number of measles cases in the province.

In a post shared via X on Wednesday, April 16, TPH warned, "Measles is just a plane ride away," noting that the virus is spreading rapidly in parts of Canada and around the world.

They added, "If you are planning to travel soon, keep your family up-to-date with their measles vaccines before you go."

This travel warning from TPH echoes a similar advisory that came out of New York earlier this month.

On April 2, the New York State Department of Health urged residents to be cautious when heading to Ontario specifically, citing the spike in measles cases in the region.

The advisory stated, "Measles is only a car ride away! Measles is a highly contagious virus. Around 90% of people who are exposed to a person with measles will become infected if they are not vaccinated. Because measles is so contagious, it easily crosses borders."

Toronto Public Health recently confirmed its third travel-related measles case of 2025 — but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

According to data from Public Health Ontario, there have been 925 confirmed measles cases in the province between October 28, 2024, and April 16, 2025.

Even more alarmingly, 264 of those cases were reported in just 14 days, from April 2 to April 16.

From some perspective, Ontario saw only 101 cases of measles in the decade between 2013 and 2023. Last year, there were just 64.

Ontario Public Health officials say the recent surge is driven by continued exposure and spread among unvaccinated individuals. Nearly 87% of recent cases weren't vaccinated, 1% had received one dose, 5% had two or more, and 7% were unknown or couldn't provide proof of vaccination.

The worst-affected areas are in the southwestern part of the province.

While there have been no confirmed fatalities linked to the disease, four people have been hospitalized and sent to the ICU due to complications related to the virus.

Public Health Ontario has published a complete list of all possible measles exposures throughout the province, which can be found here.

For more information on symptoms, visit Toronto Public Health's website.

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