What to know about Australia’s measles outbreaks: Symptoms and origins

Measles has spread to a second state with cases linked to overseas travel and local infections. Here’s what Aussies can do to avoid catching the highly contagious disease.

Measles has been detected in Sydney as cases of the viral illness continue to spread in Victoria.

According to the Australian Centre for Disease Control’s website, Australia has eliminated local transmission of measles “thanks to our vaccination program”.

“But cases continue to occur in Australia, mostly in people who have travelled overseas.”

Fewer than 100 cases annually have been reported in Australia since 2020.

Here’s what you need to know about the measles outbreak and what you can do to protect yourself.

WHY IS AUSTRALIA HAVING A MEASLES OUTBREAK?

Measles is a highly contagious disease with an ongoing global outbreak. Recent cases detected in Victoria have originated in Bali, Indonesia, with local spread now occurring.

A measles case detected on a flight into Sydney originated in Vietnam before visiting multiple locations across the city’s eastern suburbs.

NSW Health has alerted residents to a confirmed case of measles on a flight to Sydney from Vietnam, who was infectious at the time. Picture: iStock

In 2024, there were 56 cases of measles in Australia, with the majority caught overseas including in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia.

The global outbreak is driven by decreasing vaccination rates, with most deaths from the disease being unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children.

Royal Australasian College of Physicians president Jennifer Martin said “there are quite a few pockets around Australia at less than 90 per cent [vaccinated] when you need 95 per cent for herd immunity.”

The measles vaccine is usually administered to children in combination with mumps and rubella as the MMR vaccine, and is given in two doses at 12 and 18 months old.

Vaccination rates for all Australian children have been falling since 2020, with the latest data from the Australian Immunisation Register indicating around 67 per cent of non-Indigenous children are being vaccinated by 13 months old, and only 56 per cent of Indigenous children meeting this target.

The Department of Health has set a goal of 95 per cent vaccination, which it has met for five-year-olds.

These lower rates are driven by lack of access and vaccine hesitancy.

Top US health official and vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr has overseen a measles outbreak in the US. Picture: Jim Watson / AFP

Dr Martin said vaccine scepticism in Australia may be influenced by “seeing US leaders talk about vaccinations and the risk of them”.

The US is currently facing its largest measles outbreak since 2019 – centred around unvaccinated communities.

Officially eradicated in the US in 2000, measles has seen a resurgence in the country due to decreased childhood vaccination rates. During this outbreak, top US health official Robert F. Kennedy Jr has pledged to reopen investigations into vaccine safety while refusing to call for higher vaccine uptake.

Vaccine hesitancy has a base in Australia as well, as wellness influencers including homegrown former celebrity chef Pete Evans spread anti-vaccination views.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

Victorian and NSW Health authorities have shared location alerts and advised people who may have been exposed to monitor for symptoms.

Vaccination is the best defence against measles, and anyone born since 1966 is advised to make sure they have received two doses of the vaccine at least four weeks apart. There is no booster shot needed for measles, as coverage is considered to protect you for life.

Two doses of the MMR vaccine protects you for life. Picture: AFP

The Department of Health particularly recommends measles vaccination for travellers and people who work in healthcare settings, with children or the elderly.

Australians should check with their GP if they’re unsure of their vaccination status, particularly if they’re planning to travel to a country with an ongoing outbreak.

Measles vaccinations are available at a GP or chemist, and are funded for select groups under the National Immunisation Program.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MEASLES?

Measles usually affects children, but can infect adults as well. It is best recognised by a red, blotchy rash that typically spreads from the head to the rest of the body.

Symptoms of the viral illness that can appear days before a rash include fever, red or sore eyes, coughing and a runny nose. After a rash, small white spots can develop in the mouth.

Measles cases are most easily recognised by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body. Picture: Supplied

Young children and infants with measles may also have diarrhoea. Severe symptoms and complications include ear infections, pneumonia, brain swelling and death.

It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after being exposed. After a local infection was recorded in a Victorian waiting room, patients with symptoms have been asked by health agencies to call ahead to their GP or emergency department to minimise time spent waiting.

Measles is usually considered most infectious from the period a day before rash onset to four days after.

Dr Martin said as measles is an airborne disease, it spreads very easily.

“One case can infect 18-20 people, it’s a highly contagious disease and it moves quickly through a community,” she said.

Originally published as What to know about Australia’s measles outbreaks: Symptoms and origins