Her daughter just finished cancer treatment. Now this Windsor, Ont., mom is worrying about measles

A local parent whose child has not been able to get fully vaccinated yet says she's fearful after public health officials confirmed a case of measles in the community.

The potentially fatal but preventable disease is caused by a highly contagious virus and has been spreading in Ontario at a rate not seen in decades. Health officials say lower vaccination rates are to blame.

Adriana Unis is a Windsor mom whose one-year-old daughter Willow recently finished cancer treatment and is too immunocompromised to get vaccines yet.  

"All those serious illnesses, like the measles, would actually probably end up killing my daughter – even a fever would put her in the ER," Unis said."So this is all still pretty scary for us, even though the 'scary part' is supposed to be over.

 "We now just have to be on constant alert for illnesses, fevers."

On Wednesday, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) announced a lab-test confirmed case of measles at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Ruthven and two possible exposure points in the community.

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The local case comes as measles sees a resurgence in Ontario, with nearly 200 confirmed or suspected cases – mostly among kids – according to the province's most recent report. 

Symptoms of measles include a fever, cough, watery eyes, and runny nose, as well as a red rash that appears three to seven days after the initial symptoms. In some cases, the disease can result in severe complications requiring hospitalization. 

In Ontario, 18 children have been hospitalized – all of whom were unvaccinated, the province said. 

Death, though rare, is also possible. In the U.S., an unvaccinated child died of measles last month amid an outbreak in Texas. In Ontario, a child in Hamilton died last year, the only measles death reported in the province in 2024.

The measles vaccine, which experts say is safe and highly effective — nearly 100 per cent with two doses, according to Health Canada — is usually first administered at age one, per Ontario's immunization schedule. A second dose follows between the ages of four and six.

"We know that this vaccine is so effective, I just don't understand," said Lauren Meadows, a local retired public health nurse who has chronic illnesses. "We do need more people on board."

The vaccine is among those elementary and high school students in Ontario must receive – unless they have a valid exemption on file. Exemptions can be given for medical, conscious, or religious reasons, and involve filling out a form and taking an educational course.