First death from measles reported in Ontario

A child, less than five years old, died of measles in Ontario, according to the reports. It is the first such case reported in a decade, per the Provincial Health Agency of Canada. 

The Public Health Ontario (PHO) said that the child had to be hospitalised and was not vaccinated against the highly contagious respiratory virus, without providing any specifications such as when and where the child died or their actual age. 

Between January 1st, 2013 and the current week, no measles-related death has been recorded in the province. 

Measles is an airborne virus that mainly affects children under five. This disease is highly infectious but can be prevented by administering two vaccine doses to the child. According to the World Health Organisation, more than 50 million deaths have been prevented by successful vaccination since 2000.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has blamed “growing vaccine hesitancy” around North America and the world for some of the recent outbreaks of preventable childhood diseases over the past decade. 

The Prime Minister said, "My best advice to all families is to listen to your physicians and talk with your doctors about what vaccinations are right for their kids. This is a tragedy that nobody wants to see. I can't imagine what that family is going through right now," 

WHO sent an alert in February that more than half the world’s countries would be exposed to high or very high risk of measles outbreak by the year's end unless immediate preventive measures are taken. 

Ontario is the most populous province in Canada, reporting 22 cases of measles to date this year, 

Ontario, Canada's most populous province, has reported 22 cases of measles this year, with PHO stating that 15 cases were traced back to travel as the source of infection. One hundred one measles cases were reported in Ontario between 2013 and 2023.

As per the federal health agency, Canada achieved measles eradication in 1998 due to widespread immunisation coverage. Consequently, measles cases in Ontario are mainly linked to travel, commonly termed "measles importations," stated the PHO.