Six infants in Ontario have been born with congenital measles since an outbreak began last fall, having been infected in the womb by unvaccinated mothers. Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, stated these infants recovered, but an infant born prematurely and infected with measles died in southwestern Ontario, though with other serious complications. 40 pregnant people in Ontario have been infected, with only two vaccinated. Health officials report over 2,000 cases in the province since October.
6 Ontario infants born with congenital measles from unvaccinated mothers, top doctor says
OntarioHealthInfectious diseasesMeaslesImmunizations
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Six infants in Ontario have been born with congenital measles since an outbreak began last fall, having been infected in the womb by unvaccinated mothers. Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, stated these infants recovered, but an infant born prematurely and infected with measles died in southwestern Ontario, though with other serious complications. 40 pregnant people in Ontario have been infected, with only two vaccinated. Health officials report over 2,000 cases in the province since October.
Trending- 1 Last fall (October): Measles outbreak began in Ontario.
- 2 Since outbreak began: Six infants born with congenital measles.
- 3 Thursday: Dr. Kieran Moore announced an infant born prematurely and infected with measles died in southwestern Ontario.
- 4 Friday: Dr. Moore discussed vaccine hesitancy in an interview with The Canadian Press.
- 5 Monday: Dr. Catherine Varner's editorial published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
- Congenital measles can result in severe complications, including inflammation of the brain and death
- Pregnant people are bearing the burden of Canada's measles outbreak
- Challenges in encouraging unvaccinated pregnant people to get intravenous immunoglobulin
- Ongoing public health efforts to work with communities hesitant about vaccination
What: Six infants born with congenital measles; one infant died (with other serious medical complications unrelated to the virus); 40 pregnant people infected with measles; over 2,000 measles cases reported in the province.
When: Since an outbreak began last fall (October); infant death announced Thursday; Dr. Moore's comments Friday; editorial published Monday.
Where: Ontario, specifically southwestern Ontario for the infant death.
Why: Infants infected in the womb through mothers who were not vaccinated; vaccine hesitancy; MMR vaccine not recommended once a person is pregnant due to live virus.
How: Measles transmitted from unvaccinated pregnant people to their fetuses in the womb; unvaccinated pregnant people are suggested to isolate if they live in a community with active measles cases.