Health minister defends Ontario's response to worsening measles outbreak

Liam Casey · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 07, 2025 12:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 20 minutes ago

Health Minister Sylvia Jones defended connected Wednesday the province's attack to the ongoing measles outbreak arsenic caller infections summation sharply and disapproval mounts.

The latest nationalist wellness information released past week shows 223 caller infections crossed Ontario successful the erstwhile week.

That brings the full fig of radical successful the state who person fallen sick from the microorganism to 1,243 since October. That includes 84 radical who person been hospitalized, 63 of them children.

Jones said Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore has been helping section nationalist wellness units wherever the outbreaks are occurring. Moore directed nationalist wellness units much than a twelvemonth agone to absorption their efforts connected puerility vaccinations.

When asked if the province's attack was working, Jones said: "I judge it is."

"Look, there's nary uncertainty that determination are outbreaks successful definite communities and the absorption needs to beryllium connected archetypal reminding caregivers, parents the worth and the efficacy of a measles vaccine that has been successful spot for implicit 50 years successful the state of Ontario," Jones said.

She said there's nary vaccine shortage and defended the province's communications strategy, saying nationalist wellness units are speaking with caregivers astir the worth of a measles vaccine.

Almost each of the cases are tied to a multi-jurisdictional outbreak that began with a travel-related lawsuit successful New Brunswick and dispersed to Ontario and Manitoba. Moore sent a memo to section nationalist wellness units successful March, saying the root of the outbreak was a ample gathering with guests from Mennonite communities successful New Brunswick past fall.

Opposition parties and immoderate wellness officials person slammed Ontario's attack to the increasing outbreak.

In a connection Wednesday, NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the state is failing successful its effort to incorporate the virus.

"Mother's Day is coming this weekend, and families are disquieted astir accidental vulnerability for susceptible kids and loved ones. But successful the look of the worst outbreak successful decades, the government's attack is intelligibly not working," Stiles said.

"We request existent enactment and a superior program to support people, with a robust nationalist acquisition run connected the effectual and escaped MMR vaccine, and a funded, coordinated strategy to enactment nationalist wellness units."

Jones's comments came astatine a quality league wherever she announced the state would put up to $300 cardinal to physique 17 caller and expanded superior attraction teaching clinics successful communities wherever radical request much household doctors.