The Chief of Staff at Windsor Regional Hospital is stressing the importance of vaccination as measles continues to circulate locally.
Dr. Wassim Saad says while it seems like the region has seen a slight dip in confirmed cases, it's crucial to stay up-to-date on your measles vaccination, and to stay home if you're feeling sick.
Saad confirmed that Windsor Regional Hospital doesn't currently have any measles patients.
On Thursday, it was confirmed that an infant who was born prematurely in St. Thomas has died after contracted measles from their mother before birth.
While Saad says he can't speak to that exact case, it is a difficult situation as babies cannot be vaccinated until they are six months old, and so it's important for pregnant mothers to be vaccinated to pass on some immunity.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) has only confirmed one measles case for the month of June. 19 cases were confirmed in May.
Dr. Wassim Saad says while the number of cases has decreased, immunity is important.
"I think the key here for measles because it's so highly contagious is to push vaccinations as much as possible. It's also something that's very important for school-aged children who are in communities where there are higher rates because the measles vaccine schedule has a gap of about three or four years between your first and second dose."
He says infants don't have the immune system to respond to a vaccine until they are six months old.
"A lot of that immunity is passed down from the mother during the pregnancy, so it is very important for youth mothers or pregnant mothers who are not vaccinated to get vaccinated because they are able to pass on their anti-bodies against measles to the baby, and provide that passive immunity until their immune system is strong enough to be able to react or respond to a vaccine."
He says there's going to be increases and decreases in numbers.
"I don't think it's prudent to say the numbers came down this week, or they've been down for two weeks in a row and we can take our foot off the pedal because it could flare up at any minute. And next week we could be having a conversation where the numbers have tripled or quadrupled. So when it comes to a very highly infectious respiratory illness, you can't let up."
The visitor restriction for children under the age of 16-years-old remains in effect at Windsor Regional Hospital.
Those who may have been exposed to measles are asked to contact the WECHU and monitor for symptoms of measles that may appear seven to 21 days after exposure. Those experiencing extreme symptoms that require medical attention are encouraged to visit the emergency department.