Health minister says he’s concerned about US public health decisions harming Canadians
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Health Minister Marjorie Mitchell says she is concerned that recent actions by US public health agencies, such as removing the universal hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for US infants, could harm the health of Canadians.
“This is a matter of great concern to me,” Mitchell said in an interview. cbc Home Which airs on Saturday mornings. “America is our nearest neighbor. And it’s a big neighbor.”
“It’s absolutely critical to work on the same page with the provinces and territories, for example, on vaccinations,” Mitchell told host Catherine Cullen.
Last week, a panel of advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Voted to remove long standing recommendation Universally vaccinating American infants against hepatitis B.
The vote did not make any changes to guidance on vaccinating babies born to mothers who are positive for hepatitis B.
The panel members were hand-picked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who himself has promoted fragmented theories linking autism vaccinesKennedy has also recently retracted his claims Linking Tylenol and Autism,
When asked what kind of harm Kennedy could do to Canadians, Mitchell said the harm could only happen to Canada “if we’re buying what they’re saying” – and that “few” Canadians are actually buying that.
Mitchell also said that for decades, the United States was Canada’s close, integrated neighbor, but “right now, that’s not the case.”
“I would say it’s a culture change for the Canadian public. And we have to build trust in the science.”
Canada loses measles elimination status
Last month, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced Canada was informed that it no longer has measles elimination status continue to grow Across the country.
according to federal dataA total of 5,298 cases of measles have been reported by provinces and territories in 2025. About 45 per cent of these cases are in Ontario, followed by Alberta with about 37 per cent.
Mitchell said PHAC is focusing on educating the Canadian public on the issue, and she herself is working with grassroots organizations to respond to the current outbreak.
Health Canada says the Pan American Health Organization has informed the Public Health Agency of Canada that Canada no longer has measles elimination status. The health agency says that ‘while transmission has recently slowed, the outbreak has persisted for more than 12 months.’
“I don’t want to politicize something that’s really talking about the health of Canadians,” Mitchell said. “And that’s how I’m working with my critics as well… because we’re talking about health and we know we have the data and my role is to protect Canadians.”
In its announcement, PHAC said Canada could re-establish its measles elimination status “once transmission of the measles strain associated with the current outbreak is interrupted for at least 12 months.”
Provinces are pushing to expand private health care
Mitchell was also asked about the federal government’s stance on Alberta’s push to expand private health care. provincial government introduced a bill Last month, the way was paved for doctors to work in both public and private systems.
The health minister said his team is still investigating whether Alberta’s move complies with the Canada Health Act, which sets the conditions for the country’s universal, publicly funded system.
“The provinces are making changes,” Mitchell said. “But we’re trying to keep everyone under the Canada Health tent.”
If a province or territory is going outside the Canada Health Act, Mitchell said “penalties will be imposed” until the territory comes into compliance with the law.
The UCP government has introduced Bill 11 in the Legislature. The proposed rules would allow physicians to switch between public and private health systems, something the province says will improve health care overall. But the proposal is raising many questions about how it might be implemented.
Under Alberta’s plan, patients can pay for health care in the province, including surgeries such as hip and knee replacements. The government argues that this will reduce pressure on the public system, potentially reducing waiting times.
on monday, ontario announced its plans Spending $125 million over two years to add 20,000 orthopedic surgeries to community clinics.
The Ontario government has already expanded private delivery of public health-care services for cataract procedures as well as MRI and CT scans, saying it included 40,000 eye surgeries and thousands of MRI and CT operating hours last year.
