MEASLES ALERT: Sydney and Adelaide on High Alert as Infectious Passenger Travels from SA to NSW on Qantas Flight
- A person with measles boarded a Qantas flight from Adelaide to Sydney on December 29, sparking a health alert in both states.
- Exposure sites include the Marion Shopping Centre in Adelaide and Sydney Airport, with authorities urging anyone who visited these locations to monitor for symptoms.
- This is the third case of measles in NSW in the past week, with health authorities warning of a growing number of cases globally and nationally.
- Experts are sounding the alarm over declining childhood vaccination rates, with the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance reporting “concerning and ongoing declines” in coverage.
Panic is gripping Sydney and Adelaide as health authorities scramble to contain a measles outbreak after an infectious passenger travelled from South Australia to New South Wales on a Qantas flight.
The person, who contracted the disease overseas, visited several public sites in Adelaide while infectious, including the Marion Shopping Centre, before boarding the flight on December 29.
NSW Health has issued a warning to anyone who was on the Qantas flight or at the terminal, urging them to watch for symptoms until January 16. Those who visited the emergency department at Sydney Airport have been advised to monitor for symptoms until January 21.
“This is the third case of measles in travellers who have returned to NSW in the past week after visiting countries in South-East Asia where there are ongoing outbreaks,” NSW Health said in a statement.
In a stark warning, SA Health said: “It is very important that people suspecting measles phone their doctor before any visit and mention why they are attending, so precautions can be taken to avoid spreading disease to others.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Australian health authorities have recently issued warnings about the growing number of measles cases globally and nationally. Last year, the number of measles cases across Australia exceeded 160, significantly higher than the 57 cases reported the previous year and 26 in 2023.
Experts are blaming declining childhood vaccination rates for the surge in cases. The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance noted in its annual report that there were “concerning and ongoing declines” in childhood vaccination coverage.
SA Health said there were seven notified cases of measles in the state last year, with symptoms including fever, cough, runny nose, and sore eyes “followed by a blotchy rash which usually begins on the head and then spreads down the body”.
The best way to avoid measles is vaccination, with two doses needed to provide the best protection, according to SA Health.