Ford and Jones defend Ontario measles response, despite 1,243 cases since October

Dr. Kieran Moore speaks about the need for high levels of immunization to protect against measles as cases continue to rise.

Premier Doug Ford says his government is doing everything it can to combat a measles outbreak that has seen case numbers sharply rise over the past few months, despite criticism to the contrary.

“We’re throwing everything and the kitchen sink at this” Ford told reporters at Queen’s Park Wednesday when asked whether he’s concerned about the outbreak.

He said his government has made 150,000 units of the vaccine available through public health units and has spent $2 million on ads encouraging people to get the vaccine.

“Here’s the facts, there’s certain communities in Ontario, for religious reasons, are not getting their kids vaccinated,” Ford said. “I encourage anyone and everyone; you need to get your kids vaccinated, because, if not, it just starts start spreading.

“So we’ve been working with the chief medical officer of health and also local medical officers. They know what they’re doing, but the problem is, you can’t force a community to get vaccinated.”

He added that getting the jab should be a “no-brainer.”

Cases of measles have been steadily rising in Ontario over the past few months, with 1,243 confirmed and probable cases since mid-October, according to Public Health Ontario. Most of the cases have been in Southwestern Ontario and nearly 77 per cent have been in infants.

That compares to just seven cases in all of Ontario in 2023. While the number has varied, the province has rarely seen more than 20 cases a year over the past decade, according to provincial figures.

Of the confirmed cases, 84 people have been hospitalized and eight have ended up in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus that spreads through the air. It can also be transmitted by touching your eyes, nose, or mouth after touching an infected surface, according to Public Health Ontario. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, and a red blotchy rash.

Of the confirmed cases, 84 people have been hospitalized and eight have ended up in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Opposition Leader Marit Stiles slammed the Ford government at Queen’s Park earlier in the day, saying Ford has been silent as cases have risen.

“This is a crisis and what I’m hearing from the minister and from folks here in the legislature today in response to our questions was a pretty laissez faire response,” she said.

Liberal MPP Adil Shamji, a doctor, also took aim at the government over the outbreak.

“This is a government that has thrown up its hands, implemented half-hearted, lukewarm measures and is trying to convince us that they care and that they’re doing something,” he said.

Health Minister says strategy working

Speaking with reporters at a separate event in Brampton earlier in the day, Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones denied that the government has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to measles outbreaks in the province.

“I respectfully disagree,” she told a reporter who said the government’s response has been criticized as a failure.

Jones said Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, directed public health units to refocus their efforts on childhood vaccinations over a year ago and she believes that strategy is working.

“There’s no doubt that there are outbreaks in certain communities, and the focus needs to be on first reminding caregivers and parents the value and the efficacy of a measles vaccine that has been in place for over 50 years in the province of Ontario,” Jones said.

She said vaccines have been made available through public health units and family doctors and there is “no shortage” for those who are trying to get it.

“I know that Dr Moore’s work is making a difference, because he is focusing on the public units that are experiencing those outbreaks and ensuring they have the support they need,” she added.

Measles ‘no simple infection’

In Ontario, most people receive a vaccination against the illness as children and it is considered highly effective. Vaccine scepticism among some parents has been blamed for the latest outbreak.

“The vast majority of cases in Ontario that are occurring are occurring in children, adolescents – 95 per cent of them are unvaccinated,” Moore told CP24 in an interview earlier this week.

He said false information surrounding the vaccine has presented “a significant challenge” and the province has been trying to combat misinformation with targeted education campaigns.

In response to the latest outbreak, some public health units where the exposure risk is higher are offering early doses of measles vaccine to children as young as six months.

“We have a 50-year history of safety of this vaccine,” Moore said. “It has helped us in Ontario eliminate measles since 1998 and clearly that’s threatened with this ongoing activity in Ontario. So it is very safe, very effective. Two doses is 97 per cent effective against getting measles and all of its complications.”

Those complications can include pneumonia, inflammation to the brain, and other serious illness, Moore noted, adding that it is “no simple infection.”