A seventh New South Wales (NSW) resident has contracted measles since the beginning of the year, prompting health officials to urging people to vaccinate against measles and watch for symptoms.
Dr Vicky Sheppeard, Director Communicable Diseases NSW Health, said people should particularly watch for symptoms if they were in the same locations as the latest measles case who become infectious in Thailand before returning to Sydney.
- Bangkok SCG stadium on 28 February
- Thai Airways Flight TG475 from Bangkok, Thailand to Sydney, Australia, arriving in Sydney on 2 March
- The Marrickville area during the day on 5 March, including having lunch at a local restaurant.
Symptoms of measles include fever, sore eyes and a cough followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash spreading from the head and neck to the rest of the body.
“It’s extremely important to be vaccinated against measles, particularly when travelling overseas to countries where the risk of contracting the disease is higher,” Dr Sheppeard said.
“We encourage people to visit their doctor ahead of overseas trips to seek advice on the appropriate vaccinations to have before visiting the countries on their itinerary.
“Being vaccinated not only protects the traveller but it will also protect people the traveller encounters en route and when back in Australia. Measles is highly contagious and can have serious complications, particularly for young children.
“The greater the number of people vaccinated, the greater the herd immunity which helps to protect vulnerable people such as infants under 12 months who are too young to have the measles vaccination.”
Dr Sheppeard said measles spread through the air when an infected person coughed or sneezed.
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