Six Babies Born with Measles in Canada to Unvaccinated Mothers

Six infants in Canada have been born with measles, all to mothers who were not vaccinated against the disease. Health experts highlight that newborns rely on maternal antibodies for early protection, making maternal vaccination crucial during pregnancy. The cases have raised public health concerns, prompting renewed calls for increased vaccination awareness and uptake among women of childbearing age to prevent similar incidents and protect both maternal and infant health against highly contagious diseases like measles.

Ontario’s top public health official has emphasized that the recent cases of measles among newborns could have been avoided if routine immunizations had been followed. Six infants in Ontario were born with congenital measles after contracting the virus during pregnancy from their unvaccinated mothers. These cases emerged amid the region’s largest measles outbreak in recent history, which began late last year across the Western Hemisphere.

Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, confirmed that all six infants have since recovered. However, he stressed that these infections could have been averted had their mothers received standard childhood vaccines. Congenital measles, where the baby is born already infected, is highly dangerous and can lead to severe complications, including brain inflammation and, in rare instances, death.

Canada was declared free of regular measles transmission in 1998, but the current outbreak in Ontario now threatens to reverse that milestone. Since October, Ontario has logged over 2,000 confirmed cases, surpassing the total reported in the United States for 2025.

Moore pointed out that the majority of serious complications are occurring in a small segment of the population that has opted out of vaccination. Because the measles vaccine contains a live virus, it is not recommended during pregnancy. However, health agencies advise that unvaccinated pregnant individuals exposed to the virus receive a dose of intravenous immunoglobulin for protection.

Some individuals decline both vaccination and immunoglobulin, possibly due to personal or philosophical beliefs, Moore noted. Despite these challenges, he praised the high overall vaccination coverage in Canada, which he says has helped prevent the outbreak from becoming much worse.

While some may focus on the shortcomings, Moore emphasized that the country’s broad immunity levels represent a significant public health achievement, especially given global risks.

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Source: theguardian‍