Amid measles outbreak, some Ontario public health units recommending vaccine for some babies at younger age

Samantha Beattie · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 14, 2025 4:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

In effect to an Ontario-wide measles outbreak, with galore cases occurring near Brantford, some nationalist health units person expanded vaccinations to see infants arsenic young arsenic six months. 

Typically, the measles vaccine is fixed to children at 1 twelvemonth aged and then 4 years old. 

But with dozens of cases reported successful the community, Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH) has made the archetypal shot available to babies betwixt six and 11 months, and the 2nd to children earlier they crook four. 

GEPH is offering measles vaccination clinics and appointments tin beryllium booked through their website. 

Hamilton Public Health Services is besides recommending the archetypal vaccine dose beryllium administered to infants nether 1 twelvemonth aged if they're portion of travel to different areas of Ontario oregon internationally.

GEPH covers Brantford, and the counties of Brant, Haldimand and Norfolk. 

As of Thursday, GEPH had confirmed 110 cases this year, with the majority successful children and the County of Brant, officials said astatine a quality conference.

Hamilton precocious reported 1 measles case, but it's linked to planetary question and not the outbreak successful Ontario, said Dr. Brendan Lew, subordinate aesculapian serviceman of health, successful an email Friday. 

WATCH | Ontario measles cases much than treble successful 2 weeks: 

Southwestern Public Health has besides reported implicit 100 cases successful caller months and has expanded its vaccination program. It covers Oxford County, Elgin County and the City of St. Thomas, southbound of London. 

Measles 'completely preventable'

Myriah Culp lives successful the Niagara Region, wherever Niagara Health says 9 cases person been identified. She said she's disquieted her three-week-old girl Everly, who's excessively young to get vaccinated, volition get sick with the measles.  

"She's excessively little, she has nary protection and it's precise contagious," Culp told CBC News. "I adjacent interest astir conscionable taking her out." 

She's "very angry" astir the outbreak due to the fact that the measles is "completely preventable and eradicated." 

Dr. Azim Kasmani, Niagara Region's medical serviceman of health, said successful an email to CBC Hamilton that "Niagara is presently not an country of interest for measles spread," adding all local infections "are linked, and are successful radical who person not received immoderate doses of measles-containing vaccine." 

Niagara is pursuing provincial guidance for vaccination schedules, Kasmani said.

"Children should person 2 doses of the measles vaccine, their archetypal astatine 12 months and a 2nd erstwhile they are betwixt 4 to six years old."

There's nary cure for the measles, but the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine has been utilized for much than 50 years and is "proven to beryllium 1 of the safest and astir effectual vaccines available," said a connection from Public Health Ontario. 

Children afloat immunized with 2 doses of the vaccine are astir 100 per cent protected, portion a azygous dose provides astir 95 per cent protection.

In the past schoolhouse year, lone 70 per cent of seven-year-olds were afloat vaccinated against measles, according to Public Health Ontario data. The bureau says this represents a "large decline" from rates earlier the COVID-19 pandemic, arsenic seen with galore of Ontario's regular publically funded immunization programs.

The National Advisory Committee connected Immunization says 95 per cent is needed to guarantee Canada stays escaped of endemic measles. 

Measles tends to start with cold-like symptoms like fever, cough, runny nose, and reddish and watery eyes, with a rash that yet appears connected the look and body.

It's a highly contagious illness, particularly among people who aren't vaccinated, and tin pb to superior wellness issues specified arsenic pneumonia, swelling and successful uncommon cases death, said Public Health Ontario.