Measles alert after infected man visits shops, malls across Brisbane

Brisbane’s Metro Health Services have issued an emergency alert across the city’s southern and central suburbs, after a man was infectious in the community for five days earlier this month.

The alert reported the man had been active from December 12 to 14, and visited areas with large crowds, including the South Bank lagoon on December 12 and the Church of Scientology in Brisbane’s CBD across several days.

He also visited several shopping centres across Brisbane’s south, including Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown, the Grand Plaza in Browns Plains, the Cornubia Shopping Centre, and Jimboomba Central.

Queensland Health warned measles was an acute respiratory illness spread by coughs and sneezes, and advised anyone who had visited the sites at the same time as the infected man to monitor their condition.

Measles is very infectious, with its rash-like symptoms not appearing for several days after a person is infectious. Sore, watery eyes can develop after or alongside the rash.

Initial symptoms are similar to a typical cold, with high temperatures, coughing, and a runny nose.

Queensland Health said: “Symptoms usually start seven to 10 days after the contact with the infected person but can sometimes take as long as three weeks.”

Testing is available at GPs and some hospitals in Brisbane, although medical experts advised anyone who suspected they had measles to stay away from public spaces and call their doctor or a health professional for advice.

“Symptoms usually start seven to 10 days after the contact with the infected person but can sometimes take as long as three weeks,” said Queensland Health.

“Most people recover well after a case of the measles, however up to 30 per cent will need to be admitted to hospital.”

Measles is a nationally monitored disease in Australia due to its highly contagious nature. Tuesday’s confirmed case was the seventh in 2024, two more than 2023’s five confirmed cases.

Queensland Health has reported a confirmed case of measles, with potential exposure sites across Brisbane’s south and central suburbs.Credit: Google Maps; Tourism and Events Queensland

Queensland Health considered a person at risk if they were born after 1965, unvaccinated, had never contracted measles before, or were immunocompromised.

People who were vaccinated or previously had measles were unlikely to become infected.

Measles was a common childhood disease in Australia before the mid-1970s, when a national vaccination program made the disease rarer. A two-dose vaccination scheme introduced in late 1992 further dropped case numbers.

The vaccine is free for children aged 12 and 18 months under the National Immunisation Program, and adults under 20 or entering the country for humanitarian reasons who need a catch-up vaccination.

There is no booster shot for the MMR/MMRV vaccines, although adults who had not been previously vaccinated were recommended at least one dose.

Brisbane and Ipswich councils offered free measles vaccinations at select pharmacies, GPs, and community care clinics.

People cannot be vaccinated if they might be pregnant, have a compromised immune system, or have had allergic reactions to any previous dose or component of a measles vaccine.

More information on the disease is available by calling 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or visiting the Queensland Health website.