An infant born prematurely with a measles infection in southwestern Ontario has died. The infant contracted the virus before birth from their mother, who was unvaccinated against measles, said Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore in a statement. Although measles can be a fatal illness for young children, Moore said the child faced other medical complications. Dr. Ninh Tran, medical officer of Southwestern Public Health issued a statement. Since October 2024, Ontario has seen 2,009 cases of measles, with the majority of cases in southwestern Ontario health units. Normally, infants are given their first MMR vaccine at 12 months, but babies in the outbreak area are allowed to have the dose from six to 11 months. Measles is a contagious disease and can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling, premature birth and in rare cases, death.
