Measles

Health alert

Status: Active

Last updated: 13 March 2024

Issued by: Chief Health Officer

Issued to: Health professionals

Measles is a highly infectious viral illness, which can cause serious disease. Measles is now uncommon in Australia because of high levels of vaccination.

Many cases of measles come from people who have returned from other countries and brought the infection with them. These infected travelers can then pass the disease to people in Australia who haven't been vaccinated against it or haven't had measles before.

Current Situation

In recent weeks many jurisdictions in Australia have reported several measles cases in returnees from overseas destinations with onward transmission in Australia.

Outbreaks of measles have been reported in Asia (including Indonesia and India), Africa, Europe (including the UK), the Middle East and the USA.

Alerts to health professionals

Health Alert: Outbreak of Measles worldwide PDF PDF (860.3 KB) (13 March 2024)

Notifiable disease

Measles is a notifiable disease.

Vaccine

Read about immunisations on the Northern Territory Government website.

Information for health professionals

Type	Resource	Author
Document	Measles - information for general practitioners	NT Health
Document	Measles fact sheet PDF (119.3 KB)	NT Health
Document	Measles - information for contacts PDF (143.5 KB)	NT Health
Document	Measles – CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units	Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

Information for the public

Type	Resource	Author
Webpage	Measles	NT Government
Webpage	Measles vaccination	NT Government
Webpage	Measles	Health direct

Exclusion periods for schools and daycares

There is a minimum period of exclusion from school, pre-school or childcare for children or educators with this infectious disease.

Get a copy of the time out minimum periods of exclusion.

Contact

Contact the Public Health Unit’s Centre for Disease Control.

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