Ontario baby’s measles-related death highlights vaccination critical, health experts say

Ontario baby’s measles-related death highlights vaccination critical, health experts say

Ontario and Alberta have been hit the hardest by the current outbreak, with cases still surging among unvaccinated children in particular.

Health care providers say the death of a premature baby infected with measles in Ontario is a stark reminder of the importance of getting immunized to protect against the highly contagious virus.

The first death associated with the current measles outbreak in Canada was confirmed on Thursday by the provincial health ministry. A baby born prematurely in Southwestern Ontario, considered the epicentre of the country’s measles outbreak, contracted measles before birth from their unvaccinated mother.

Measles contributed to the premature birth and death but official