‘Concerning’ rise in measles cases as travellers import virus

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has warned of a worrying increase in measles cases from returning travellers amid a global outbreak of the disease.

Thirty-five cases of measles have been recorded across the country this year, compared with 26 last year. The latest case, confirmed in south-western Sydney on Tuesday, was detected in a child who had recently returned from the Middle East.

The college’s Specific Interests Child and Young Person’s Health chair, Dr James Best, said most measles in Australia came from people returning from abroad and warned that any case should be taken seriously.

Measles cases are on the rise globally as authorities warn Australians to make sure they are up-to-date with vaccinations.Credit: Shutterstock

“Given that measles is so contagious, we need a high rate of herd immunity to stop outbreaks, particularly in areas where vaccination rates are not high enough,” he said.

“The fact that we’ve had a slight drop in our vaccination rate recently and the slight increase in number of measles cases is very much a concern. What we worry about is more widespread outbreaks.”

In Australia, rates of fully vaccinated one-year-olds and five-year-olds fell by 0.1 per cent between September and December 2023, according to the Australian Immunisation Register, while two-year-old immunisations rose by 0.02 per cent.

NSW North Coast has the lowest vaccination rates in the country at 86.67 per cent of two-year-olds fully vaccinated as of the December quarter, followed by country WA and the Gold Coast.

The coverage rate for all children at five years is 93.93 per cent, slightly lower than the national target of 95 per cent for all children.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander one- and two-year-olds have lower coverage rates than non-Indigenous children. By the time they reach five, however, they surpass the national target, with coverage rates of 95.44 per cent.

South Western Sydney Local Health District Director of Public Health Dr Mitchell Smith urged Australians to ensure they were up-to-date with their vaccinations.

“Anyone born after 1965 needs to ensure they have had two doses of measles vaccine. This is especially important before overseas travel, as measles outbreaks are occurring in several regions of the world,” he said.

Measles cases increased by 88 per cent globally between 2022 and 2023, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), with nearly 121,500 cases recorded this year.

It follows a backslide in childhood immunisations during COVID-19 disruptions, with an estimated 20.5 million children missing out on one or more vaccines in 2022.

The WHO warns more than half the world’s countries will be at high or very high risk from measles outbreaks by the end of this year unless vaccination rates improve.

Smith said the measles vaccine can prevent the disease even after exposure if given early enough.

Pathology Awareness Australia ambassador and infectious disease expert Morgyn Warner urged travellers to be vigilant for symptoms.

“Measles can be missed as it can present like a common viral illness. If people have been overseas and have an unusual rash, those people need to think about the risk of measles and ask their doctors to test,” Warner said.

Tests can involve a blood test, throat swab or urine test.

The WHO estimates the measles vaccination prevented 57 million deaths between 2000 and 2022.

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