Canada's Ontario province reports death of child from measles
Toronto: An infant infected with measles has died in southwestern Ontario, Canada, the province's chief medical officer of health said in a statement on Thursday.
The death was the first caused by the contagious disease in Canada in 2025.
"An infant, born prematurely and infected with measles, has tragically passed away in southwestern Ontario. The infant contracted the virus before birth from their mother, who had not received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine," said Kieran Moore, the province's CMO of health.
"While measles may have been a contributing factor in both the premature birth and death, the infant also faced other serious medical complications unrelated to the virus," Moore added.
No more personal or medical details about the infant's death were shared out of respect for the family's privacy.
Canada has seen an increase in measles cases this year, with more reported in the first two months of 2025 than all of last year. The disease has been considered eliminated in the country since 1998.
Measles, which poses a risk to infants, is one of the most contagious diseases and can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, premature birth and death, in rare cases, the statement said.
"Since October 28, 2024, Ontario has reported a cumulative total of 2,009 measles cases linked to an outbreak that began in New Brunswick," Moore said in the statement, adding that the vast majority of cases were among those who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
The country reported a total of 146 measles cases last year, according to government data.
Moore also said that everyone who is unvaccinated is at risk, and urged "everyone, but especially those who may become pregnant, to ensure they have received two doses of the MMR vaccine, which will protect both a parent and baby."
As of Sunday, the United States had reported 1,088 cases this year, crossing the 1,000-case mark for the first time in five years. The outbreak in Texas has led to the deaths of two children.
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Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
Canada's Ontario province reports death of child from measles
Toronto: An infant infected with measles has died in southwestern Ontario, Canada, the province's chief medical officer of health said in a statement on Thursday. The death was the first caused by the contagious disease in Canada in 2025. "An infant, born prematurely and infected with measles, has tragically passed away in southwestern Ontario. The infant contracted the virus before birth from their mother, who had not received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine," said Kieran Moore, the province's CMO of health. "While measles may have been a contributing factor in both the premature birth and death, the infant also faced other serious medical complications unrelated to the virus," Moore added. No more personal or medical details about the infant's death were shared out of respect for the family's privacy. Canada has seen an increase in measles cases this year, with more reported in the first two months of 2025 than all of last year. The disease has been considered eliminated in the country since 1998. Measles, which poses a risk to infants, is one of the most contagious diseases and can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, premature birth and death, in rare cases, the statement said. "Since October 28, 2024, Ontario has reported a cumulative total of 2,009 measles cases linked to an outbreak that began in New Brunswick," Moore said in the statement, adding that the vast majority of cases were among those who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. The country reported a total of 146 measles cases last year, according to government data. Moore also said that everyone who is unvaccinated is at risk, and urged "everyone, but especially those who may become pregnant, to ensure they have received two doses of the MMR vaccine, which will protect both a parent and baby." As of Sunday, the United States had reported 1,088 cases this year, crossing the 1,000-case mark for the first time in five years. The outbreak in Texas has led to the deaths of two children.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Canada infant born with measles from unvaccinated mother dies
A Canadian infant who was born prematurely and had measles has died, officials said Thursday without confirming a cause of death, raising heightened concern about the virus's resurgence. Canada has recorded 2,755 measles cases including 2,429 confirmed and 326 probable according to federal health data updated on June 2. The epicenter of the outbreak is the province of Ontario, where nearly 2,000 cases have been reported. Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Kieran Moore, said in a statement "the infant contracted the virus before birth from their mother, who had not received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine." "While measles may have been a contributing factor in both the premature birth and death, the infant also faced other serious medical complications unrelated to the virus," he added. In March, Moore said the outbreak was "disproportionately affecting some Mennonite, Amish, and other Anabaptist communities," partly due to lower rates of vaccination among those populations. If measles is confirmed as the cause of the infant's death, it would mark the first fatality linked to the current outbreak. After Ontario, the next hardest hit area is the western province of Alberta, with 632 confirmed cases, according to the federal data. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus spread through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or simply breathes. Known for its characteristic rash, it poses a serious risk to unvaccinated individuals, including infants under 12 months who are not ordinarily eligible for vaccination, and those with weakened immune systems. It can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, premature birth and in rare cases, death. Hundreds died each year from the virus in Canada before widespread immunization programs were introduced in the early 1970s. It was considered eradicated in 1998 but cases continue to occur due to spread from other countries. The United States is also confronting a significant measles resurgence, with a vaccine-skeptical Mennonite Christian community straddling the Texas-New Mexico border hit particularly hard. President Donald Trump's Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has undermined confidence in the vaccine a highly effective shot he has falsely claimed is dangerous and contains fetal debris. amc/bs/sms
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Post-Covid immunisation: Childhood measles vaccination rates plunge in several US counties; cases hit 30-year high, study finds
Representative image Immunisation coverage for measles among children has declined, after the Covid pandemic in nearly 80 per cent of over 2,000 US counties analysed in a new study. The drop includes several regions currently experiencing outbreaks. The study, conducted by Johns Hopkins University and recently published in JAMA, was cited by the Associated Press. It highlights increased vulnerability in many areas, in line with state and national data showing declining routine childhood vaccination rates. "When you look at the state level or national level ... you really don't see those drastic drops. Those are there. They're real and they're really problematic," said Lauren Gardner, the study's senior author and infectious disease modelling specialist at Johns Hopkins University, who also developed the university's Covid-19 database. As of Friday, the US has recorded 1,088 measles cases in 2025, the highest year-to-date total in more than three decades. The vast majority of cases have affected unvaccinated individuals and have been traced to both international and domestic travel. Three deaths have occurred during the current outbreaks. Although measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000 due to the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, declining vaccination rates now threaten that status. All 50 states require two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine for public school attendance, yet non-medical exemptions reached record highs in the 2023–2024 school year. Experts emphasise that a 95 per cent vaccination rate is necessary to prevent outbreaks. The Johns Hopkins researchers analysed 2,066 counties in 33 states, comparing average kindergarten vaccination coverage from pre-pandemic years (2017–2020) with post-pandemic rates (2022–2024). When kindergarten-specific data was unavailable, alternative metrics were used to approximate coverage. Outbreaks in affected counties Since late January, Texas has reported 742 measles cases, most concentrated in West Texas. Gaines County leads with 411 cases, nearly two per cent of its population. Though vaccination coverage rose two percentage points post-pandemic, it remains at just 82.4 per cent, well below herd immunity levels. Terry and Yoakum counties, with 60 and 20 cases respectively, also fall short of the 95 per cent threshold, at 93.7 per cent and 91.8 per cent. Lubbock County, near Gaines, reported 53 cases, with coverage slipping from just under 95 per cent to 91.8 per cent. El Paso County, despite maintaining above-threshold coverage at 96.5 per cent, saw a 2.1-point decline alongside 57 reported cases. Kansas has also seen outbreaks. Gray County reported 25 cases, with vaccination coverage plunging from 94 per cent to 71 per cent. Haskell County saw an 18-point drop to 65 per cent with 11 cases, while Stevens County, with seven cases, dipped to 90.5 per cent. In Colorado, seven cases were traced to a mid-May arrival at Denver International Airport, affecting six residents and one visitor. Arapahoe County logged two cases with coverage at 88.4 per cent. El Paso County reported three cases and a drop to 80 per cent. North Dakota researchers analysed only post-pandemic years due to limited earlier data. Williams County recorded 16 cases with fluctuating coverage: 84.6 per cent in 2022, 87.7 in 2023, then falling to 83.5 per cent in 2024. Cass County, with seven cases, held steady at around 92.7 per cent. Grand Forks County reported 10 cases, with coverage dropping from 95.4 to 93.4 per cent.
