Ontario child under 5 dies of measles: provincial health agency – CBC

1st measles death identified via provincial surveillance since 1989, Public Health Ontario says

May 17, 2024

A child under five years old has died of measles in Ontario, according to the provincial public health agency — the first such death in the province since 1989, when tracking began.

In an update published Thursday, Public Health Ontario (PHO) said the child was not vaccinated against the highly infectious respiratory virus. It did not indicate when the child died or their specific age.

The provincial agency said in an email statement that the death was reported by Hamilton Public Health Services.

“A measles-related death is a rare and tragic event. Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time,” a spokesperson for PHO said.

“Prior to this reported death, there were no deaths from an acute illness of measles identified in Ontario through provincial surveillance since 1989, which is as far back as the Ontario data goes,” they added.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/measles-death-child-ontario-1.7207293