VANCOUVER — British Columbia health officials say vaccine misinformation promoted by United States officials is stoking unnecessary fears about vaccines proven to work. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says a recent executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump that recommends splitting the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is “distressing” and ignores the evidence about its safety. She says the decision “takes us backwards” and American officials treating measles as though it’s not a serious illness is harmful to families and communities. B.C. Health Minister Ravi Kahlon joined Henry at a news conference encouraging back-to-school immunizations, saying U.S. rhetoric about vaccines is contributing to rising measles cases and a decrease in childhood vaccinations. Both Canada and the United States have seen increases in measles cases in 2025 and 2026, including a cluster of cases in northeastern B.C. last June. Henry says the majority of measles cases in the past year have been recorded in communities where vaccinations rates have been decreasing. Summer travel puts children at risk of exposure to viruses such as measles, she told the news conference on Thursday, and parents should make sure their children’s immunization records are up to date before school starts. Many children starting school for the first time in B.C. are due for booster vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella, known as chickenpox, she added. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2026.
