Shumita Basu

So far, more than 5,000 people in Canada have been infected in the outbreak that started at a wedding in the province of New Brunswick.

This is significant because now that Canada has lost its status as measles-free, it means the entirety of the Americas have lost it as well.

Helen Branswell is the infectious diseases correspondent for STAT.

The outbreak in Canada is somewhat similar to the one in West Texas, which broke out in a Mennonite community.

That one lasted from January to August and infected more than 700 people, resulting in the deaths of two unvaccinated school-aged children.

So far this year, the U.S.

has been dealing with a significant uptick in measles cases, with close to 1,700 infections across at least 40 states as of last week.

Declining childhood vaccination rates in the U.S.

and Canada, coupled with vaccine fatigue post-COVID, are just some of the reasons measles cases have risen.

As of the last full school year, just 92.5 percent of U.S.

school kids had received the MMR vaccine, well below the 95 percent required to prevent transmission of measles.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

has said the MMR vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the disease, but on other occasions he's questioned its safety and has ordered his department to explore new treatment options.

Branswell says that while the U.S.

has only seen three deaths so far, this should all be a big wake-up call.

Before we let you go, a few other stories we're following.

The world's most advanced aircraft carrier arrived near the Caribbean Tuesday as part of President Trump's efforts targeting suspected drug boats in the region, escalating his military buildup in the area to new heights.

Reuters reports that the USS Gerald Ford holds more than 5,000 sailors, making it an enormous resource for its stated aims of disrupting drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan army says it's preparing a campaign to sow chaos in the event that U.S.

forces make a move against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.