The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Anthony Lawler, is urging healthcare professionals to proactively review patients' immunisation status and to encourage timely vaccination as a key preventative measure.
Australia has seen a recent rise in confirmed measles cases, predominantly among unvaccinated and under-vaccinated adults aged 20 to 49 years. This increase is occurring in the context of ongoing international outbreaks and a general decline in vaccination coverage across all age cohorts, now below the 95% threshold required for herd immunity.
Professor Lawler stressed that measles is a serious and highly contagious disease, and that vaccination is safe and highly effective. Two doses of combination measles-containing vaccine offer 99% protection against illness and serious complications.
Vaccination is important for people with higher risk of exposure, particularly:
- people travelling, or returning from, overseas
- healthcare workers
- childhood educators and carers, and
- people who work in long-term care and correctional facilities.
Measles-containing vaccines are usually free without a script in NSW (1). Live vaccine precautions apply.
Children
The routine childhood schedule through the National Immunisation Program (2) (NIP) is:
- Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 months
- Measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine at 18 months
Older children under 14 years who have not been vaccinated are eligible for funded catch-up MMR, followed by MMRV after at least 4 weeks. 14-19 year olds are eligible for 2 doses of MMR at least 4 weeks apart.
NSW funds an additional dose of MMR vaccine for infants aged 6-11 months who are travelling to countries with endemic measles or an outbreak. They still need to receive the 2 recommended doses at 12 and 18 months (1,3).
Adults
All adolescents and adults born during or since 1966 should have either:
- documented evidence of 2 doses of measles-containing vaccine given at least 4 weeks apart and with both doses given at ≥12 months of age, or
- serological evidence of immunity to measles, mumps and rubella (3)
People born in or after 1966 who do not have documented evidence of 2 doses of measles containing vaccine should generally be offered MMR vaccination, which is free in NSW, rather than serological testing (4). NSW also funds additional doses of MMR for rubella seronegative postnatal women.
MMR vaccinations are available at no cost through the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for humanitarian entrants and refugees aged > 6 months (2).
Clinicians should routinely assess measles immunity during individual risk assessments, particularly when patients present for travel consultations, and offer measles vaccination where indicated.
Providers in General Practice provide measles vaccinations to patients of all ages. In addition, and since September 2023, appropriately trained community pharmacists can give National Immunisation Program (NIP) and privately funded measles vaccinations to people aged five years and over.
Professor Lawler also encouraged healthcare providers to assist patients in verifying their immunisation history, particularly those travelling to measles-affected regions. While the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) can provide some historical data, it only includes vaccinations administered from 1996 onward, with mandatory reporting beginning in 2021. Patients can access their Immunisation History Statement via their Medicare online account on myGov, through the my health mobile app, or through the Express Plus Medicare mobile app.
Healthcare providers play a critical role in measles prevention and outbreak control. Please ensure measles immunisation is routinely considered and addressed in your practice.
Providers can order their measles vaccines from the NSW Vaccine Centre.
More information:
Additional clinical guidance on measles is available in the Australian Immunisation Handbook chapter on Measles
To help determine whether adults should receive a catch-up vaccine, the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) has prepared a guide for immunisation providers.
More information about measles vaccines available under the NIP and catch-up vaccinations is available at health.gov.au/immunisation.
- Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care Recommendations | Measles | The Australian Immunisation Handbook
- Australian Government, Department of Health and Aged Care. National Immunisation Program Schedule | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
- NSW Health Frequently asked questions about measles vaccination
- National Centre for immunisation Research and Surveillance NCIRS Measles vaccination catch-up guide for immunisation providers13062019.pdf
