Measles outbreak warning as 1.7 million Aussies go unprotected

New research shows an estimated 1.7 million Australians are not protected against measles, putting the nation at risk of further outbreaks.

Nearly 7 per cent of the population was not adequately immunised against the disease in 2019, the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) analysis found.

Measles is a highly contagious disease and cases in Australia linked to overseas travel continue to rise.

Lead author Zoe Crocker says the most vulnerable Australians were crucial age groups born from the end of the 1970s.

Every birth cohort from 1977 onwards had at least 5 per cent of its population estimated to be susceptible.

Many of these groups are today raising young families and are among Australia’s most frequent overseas travellers, increasing the chances of measles being introduced into communities.

The study also found that people aged 15 to 35 years accounted for half of the measles cases between 2008 and 2022.

“Australia remains a measles elimination success story, but our findings show we’re closer to the minimum level of population protection needed to prevent outbreaks than many people might expect,” she said.

Australia has maintained its measles elimination status since 2014, but protection isn’t shared evenly across the population, and the margin for error is relatively small.

Due to declining childhood vaccination rates since the Covid-19 pandemic, population immunity may now also be slightly lower than the 2019 estimate.

“Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known. Even relatively small immunity gaps in communities can create opportunities for the virus to spread when cases are imported from overseas,” said Crocker.

While Australia has maintained its World Health Organization-certified measles elimination status,  other industrialised countries, such as Canada, Spain and the UK, have recently lost theirs during rising global outbreaks.

The NCIRS researchers warn the experience overseas shows elimination status in Australia shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Read more

Experts are ‘almost certain’ there’s another global pandemic on the horizon

Frank Beard, associate director at NCIRS and senior author of the study, says Australians travelling abroad who have a higher risk of exposure should check on their immunisation status.

“Check your records, talk to your GP or other immunisation provider, and get vaccinated if needed,” Beard said.

“If you’re not sure whether you’ve had two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, it’s safe to have one or two doses if needed.”