Australia Could Be At Risk Of ‘Imported’ Measles Outbreak After Overseas Epidemics

A child with measles rash on hands and torso

Australia eliminated local measles spread in 2014 but experts have warned unvaccinated residents to urgently immunise against the disease, with fears deadly outbreaks in Samoa and NZ could have an impact closer to home.

"We have high vaccination rates in Australia, so we would not likely have ongoing epidemics, but measles is spread by travel, so we could certainly see outbreaks in Australia due to travel to and from affected countries," Professor Raina MacIntyre, head of the biosecurity research program at the Kirby Institute, told 10 daily.

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