Ottawa, Oct 3 (IANS): A premature baby in Alberta has died from measles, marking the province’s first measles-related death and the second nationwide since the start of Canada’s ongoing outbreak, local media reported.
Alberta’s Minister of Primary and Preventive Health Services, Adriana LaGrange, expressed her condolences in a statement, saying she was “saddened” to confirm the death.
Children under five, pregnant individuals, and those with weakened immune systems are at the highest risk from measles, LaGrange noted. She advised anyone planning a pregnancy to ensure they have received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, as vaccination is not recommended during pregnancy.
Canada’s first recent measles death occurred in Ontario in June, also involving a premature baby.
The outbreak, which began last October, has spread across multiple provinces. As of September 20, Canadian health authorities reported 5,006 cases this year, with Alberta and Ontario the hardest hit, according to Xinhua news agency.
Canada had declared measles eliminated in 1998, but the recent resurgence has raised alarm among public health officials nationwide.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through breathing, coughing, or sneezing. While it can infect anyone, it is most common and severe in children. Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, small white spots inside the cheeks, and a widespread rash that typically begins on the face and neck before spreading to the hands and feet. Symptoms usually appear 10–14 days after exposure and last about 4–7 days, while the rash can last 5–6 days.
Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles and its complications. Before the vaccine’s introduction in 1963, major epidemics occurred every two to three years, causing an estimated 2.6 million deaths annually. Despite vaccines being safe and cost-effective, approximately 107,500 people, mostly children under five, died from measles in 2023.
