Australians are being urged to check their vaccination records as cases of measles continue to surge across the globe.
Measles is one of the world's most contagious diseases and, thanks to immunisation, it was technically eliminated in Australia in 2014.
But the World Health Organization (WHO) warns countries that have eliminated measles are still at risk of "disruptive" outbreaks if high immunisation rates are not sustained.
What is measles?
Measles is a that spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Nine in 10 unvaccinated people exposed to the virus can contract the illness.
"If someone goes into a hospital waiting room, with measles and waits there for about 15 minutes and then leaves, for the next two hours, anyone going into that room will be exposed to measles," said Dr Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious diseases specialist and associate professor at the Australian National University.
"So [it's] really, really infectious."
Symptoms — which occur between 10 and 18 days after exposure — include a rash, a runny nose, cough, sore eyes and a fever.
Most people recover, but measles can lead to health complications — including ear infections, pneumonia, and encephalitis, which is the swelling of the brain.
In some cases, it can result in death.
Australia on alert
Senanayake said measles is rare in Australia, thanks to vaccinations, but a global surge in cases has health authorities on alert.
"We've done really well with immunisations in Australia with regard to lots of infections, particularly measles," he told SBS News.
"However, this does not mean we don't see measles in Australia because measles is still active in other parts of the world."
Around 50 countries are experiencing what the WHO describes as "large and disruptive" measles outbreaks.
"So people coming into Australia — either Australians returning from overseas or tourists visiting Australia — can bring measles back here," Senanayake said.
Some 28 cases of measles have been so far this year — already more than the 26 reported throughout the entirety of 2023.
Thanks to immunisation, Australia technically eliminated measles in 2014. Now experts are urging people to check their vaccination status. Credit: ANP/Sipa USA
Catching up is critical
The WHO attributes the rise in cases to a "backsliding" in vaccination coverage.
According to the WHO, 83 per cent of the world's children received one dose of the measles vaccine before their first birthday through routine health services in 2022 — the lowest level since 2008.
This is mainly due to a decline in vaccination coverage during the , when an estimated 60 million children missed their measles immunisations.
Catch-up efforts are now critical, . The region experienced a 30-fold rise in measles cases in 2023.
More cases have also been recorded in the United States, India and Indonesia.
Pacific resurgence
The WHO also warns of a measles resurgence in the Western Pacific, where 3.6 million children missed their routine immunisations between 2020 and 2022.
Last year, cases went up 255 per cent in the region, which includes Australia, several Pacific Island nations, China, the Philippines and Malaysia.
Factors that could drive further increases include the drop in vaccination coverage during the pandemic and the size and extent of the outbreaks in the Philippines and Malaysia, the WHO said.
"Two countries in the Western Pacific region that reported the highest rates of measles in 2023 — they were Malaysia and the Philippines," WHO regional director for the Western Pacific Saia Ma’u Piukala told SBS News.
"And you have the risk of importation of measles to other neighbouring countries," he added.
People in a street in the Philippines capital, Manila. The Philippines was one of two Western Pacific countries that reported the highest rates of measles in 2023. Source: Getty, AFP / Jam Sta Rosa
What you should check
Senanayake said a large measles outbreak in Australia is unlikely but stressed the need for people to check if they’re protected — particularly if they're heading overseas.
"If you're planning a trip and you've got time to look into these things, you can always meet your doctor and double-check your measles vaccination status," he said. "And that can be done just by looking at immunisation records or even doing a blood test to look at antibody levels."
Measles immunisations are recommended for babies at 12 months.
Infants as young as six months of age can receive the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine prior to travelling to any country experiencing a measles outbreak.
Two doses are about 97 per cent effective and protection is lifelong.
