Child under 5 who died of measles was from Hamilton: public health officials

A child under five years old who died after being hospitalized for measles was a Hamilton resident, public health officials say.

A spokesperson for the city’s public health agency says the child was not immunized against the virus.

“This is a profoundly tragic situation where a young child has left us too soon with their whole life ahead of them,” says Dr. Brendan Lew, Hamilton’s associate medical officer of health, in a statement Friday.

“To respect and protect the privacy of the child and their loved ones, we will not be speaking to further details of this individual case.”

Hamilton Public Health did not confirm when the child died.

READ MORE: Ontario reports first measles-related death in child after more than a decade

There have been six confirmed cases of measles so far this year in Hamilton. Lew says none of the individuals were immunized against the virus.

A report published Thursday by Public Health Ontario shows an alarming rise in the serious respiratory virus.

“This is a really present concern for people who are planning to travel, but also people who are returning from travel, especially those with young children,” Lew says.

“Certainly places like health care settings, places like schools, places like childcare settings are all really important settings that we want to make sure that there is protection against.”

The agency says there have been 22 confirmed cases of measles in Ontario this year, 13 of them in children.

It says 12 of the children were not vaccinated and the other had an unknown immunization status.

Five of the children, including the one who died, had to be hospitalized.

READ MORE: Health officials confirms 4 cases of measles in Hamilton

Hannah Jensen, a spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones, expressed condolences to the grieving family.

In an emailed statement, Jensen also urged residents to stay up to date with their vaccinations to ensure they and their loved ones are protected against infectious diseases.

Speaking in Winnipeg on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the child’s death “a tragedy that nobody wants to see.”

“I can’t imagine what that family is going through right now, but I do know as a parent that all of us want the absolute best for our kids,” he said.

“I recommend that everyone listens to their doctors, their health professionals on how to keep their kids safe.”

– With files from the Canadian Press.