Infant born premature and infected with measles dies in Ontario

An infant who was born premature and infected with the measles has passed away in southwestern Ontario, announced the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.

In a statement, Dr. Kieran Moore said the infant contracted the virus before birth from their mother, who had not received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

He added that 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.”

No further details about the infant’s death have been released out of respect for the family’s privacy.

This is the first death reported in Ontario’s current measles outbreak.

A child under five years of age died of measles in Hamilton, Ont., in the spring of 2024. Before that, there had been no measles deaths in the province in more than a decade.   

Dr. Moore said measles poses a serious risk to unvaccinated individuals and infants and can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, premature birth and in rare cases, death.

“I urge 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,” read his statement.

“I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family during this incredibly difficult time. I also want to thank the dedicated health-care professionals who cared for both the mother and infant with compassion and expertise.”

Ontario has been dealing with a measles outbreak since October 2024, with over 2,000 cases linked to an outbreak that began in New Brunswick. As of June 3, 140 cases have required hospitalization.

Southwestern Ontario has been hardest hit with 725 cases, including 21 new cases since last week.     

The vast majority of the cases are from people who are unvaccinated or whose immunization status is unknown.

Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones called the death “deeply disturbing” and said directives to local public health units, letters to students in schools and a social media campaign were among the province’s efforts to drive home the importance of measles vaccination.

“I hope today’s terrible news really refocuses people with their primary care practitioners. If you have questions, please call Health 811,” Jones said at an unrelated news conference on Thursday.

“Listen, this is real. This is impactful. And as we have seen this week, (measles) sometimes can lead to death.”

Dr. Ninh Tran, medical officer of health at Southwestern Public Health, said the death is “devastating news for the community” and offered “heartfelt thoughts to the family.”

“This event underscores the seriousness of measles in pregnant individuals, as it can cause low birth weight for the baby, preterm birth, and miscarriage,” Tran said in a statement.

According to the most recent data available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, all provinces and territories except New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon and Nunavut have had measles cases this year. 

Ontario and Alberta have had the most measles cases and the numbers continue to climb. 

Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report