The number of measles cases nationwide is now approaching triple the number of cases reported in 2024 as outbreaks continue around the world.<\/p>\n
There have now been 168 cases of measles across Australia in 2025, according to the national disease surveillance system.<\/p>\n
In 2024, there were just 57.<\/p>\n
In 2023, there were 26 cases, and just seven in 2022. In 2021, there were zero cases reported in the entire year, as the COVID-19 pandemic locked down much of the world.<\/p>\n
The rise in numbers, experts tell the ABC, comes amid a global surge in measles outbreaks and a national lagging vaccination rate.<\/p>\n
At least 59 countries experienced large-scale outbreaks in 2024, with a quarter of those countries having previously eliminated the “incredibly contagious” disease.<\/p>\n
“Measles has been really uncommon in general practice for decades,” Ramya Raman, vice-president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), said.<\/p>\n
“That’s primarily been because of the highly effective immunisation program and also the fact that we were achieving herd immunity.<\/p>\n
“We’re now in a changing environment, and we’re seeing a lot more outbreaks.”<\/p>\n
Travel, lagging vaccination sees measles hit pre-pandemic levels<\/p>\n
Australia was declared free of measles in 2014, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).\u00a0<\/p>\n
The number of cases dropped into double digits \u2014 74 in total \u2014 the following year, before steadily climbing again, reaching 284 annual cases by 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then the pandemic hit \u2014 leading to another drop in cases.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Meru Sheel, an infectious diseases epidemiologist at the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health, called these the “outlier years”.<\/p>\n
“During the pandemic, we saw no measles globally,” Dr Sheel said.<\/p>\n
“But in 2019, there were 284 [cases], and that was associated with global outbreaks of measles around the world.<\/p>\n
“Historically, what we’ve seen in Australia is that most cases are linked to travel.<\/p>\n
“It’s usually either people who have travelled overseas themselves or family members of those who may have travelled overseas.”<\/p>\n
The increase in travel, combined with a decreasing vaccination rate is now causing a surge in case numbers year on year, according to medical experts.<\/p>\n
Early this year, the RACGP noted cases were bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance noted in its latest annual report that there were “concerning and ongoing declines” in childhood vaccination coverage.<\/p>\n
“We think perhaps [the rise in measles] is due to the declining vaccination rates globally and that we’re seeing increased international travel,” Dr Raman says.<\/p>\n
“The most worrying changes we’ve recently seen are quite large outbreaks overseas as well, particularly in the US and Europe.<\/p>\n
“And there have been instances where mortality is arising from measles in places like the USA.”<\/p>\n
Measles one of ‘the most contagious diseases known’\u00a0<\/p>\n
Measles is “incredibly” contagious, Dr Raman said.<\/p>\n
“In medical terms, we refer to something known as the R number.<\/p>\n
“Measles has an R number of 12\u201318, which is actually far higher than many other infections.”<\/p>\n
The basic reproduction number \u2014 also called R0 \u2014 is the amount an infection will spread from one person to another.<\/p>\n
If a disease has an R0 of 2, that means one person who has the disease will pass it on to two other people on average.<\/p>\n
Early COVID-19 variants had an R0 of 2\u20133, while the more infectious Omicron variant was around 8.2, according to the Global Infectious Disease Database.<\/p>\n
Measles, according to the database, is one of “the most contagious diseases known”.<\/p>\n
“The challenge with measles is to stop the transmission first,” Dr Sheel said.<\/p>\n
“It has a very long incubation period. That means that once you get exposed \u2026 it can be anywhere between 14 to 21 days when the virus is replicating in your body.<\/p>\n
“You can spread the infection to others the day before you even [show] symptoms and up to four days after you see the rash.<\/p>\n