Mother of child infected with measles describes lasting effects

One mom says her infant, too young to be vaccinates, continues to face health issues in the months after healing from the illness. Kathy Le reports.

A Canadian mother whose infant contracted measles is warning about the virus’s long-term health risks, as international health officials urge Canada to strengthen its response amid rising cases across the Americas.

Kimie, now 15 months old, contracted measles as an infant while she was too young to be vaccinated. Although she appears healthy today, her mother, Morgan Birch, says the illness has had lasting consequences.

“She’s had two cases of croup, and she’s had three or four ear infections,” Birch said, adding doctors have told her the infection compromised her daughter’s immune system.

Medical experts say measles can cause serious long-term damage well beyond the initial illness. In a report from the Georgia Institute of Technology the author cited “a study published in 2019 found that having a measles infection destroyed between 11 per cent and 75 per cent of their antibodies, leaving them vulnerable to many of the infections to which they previously had immunity.”

“This effect, called immune amnesia, lasts until people are reinfected or revaccinated against each disease their immune system forgot,” reads the report.

Birch said those risks continue to weigh heavily on her.

“Ten or 11 years from now, her brain can swell and she can die,” she said.

The warning comes as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an epidemiological alert calling on countries in North and South America, including Canada, to intensify vaccination efforts and disease surveillance. The agency said measles cases in 2025 increased sharply compared with the previous five years and that the trend appears to be continuing into 2026.

Dr. Eleni Galanis, director general of the Centre for Emerging and Respiratory Infections at the Public Health Agency of Canada, said federal officials have been working closely with the organization.

“We’ve been working with PAHO to find ways to better control and prevent the spread of measles for many, many months,” Galanis said.

“I’m not surprised they’ve put out this report because now the situation is concerning not only in Canada but in many other countries of the Americas.”

Health officials say while outbreaks have eased in some regions of Canada, measles continues to circulate, particularly in Western provinces.

Since the outbreak began in October 2024, about 5,500 measles cases have been recorded in Canada, a surge that caused the country to lose its measles elimination status.

Daniel Salas, executive manager for the Pan American Health Organization’s comprehensive immunization special program, said the response must focus on rebuilding trust and strengthening health systems.

“(Such as) training health care workers to transmit confidence about vaccines to people,” Salas said.