What measles is
Measles is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus. It can be very serious and can cause hospitalisation and death.
Vaccination is the best way to prevent illness and the spread of measles.
Why it matters to public health
Measles can be very serious, especially in people who are unvaccinated or have weakened immune systems.
Measles infection during pregnancy increases your risk of miscarriage and pre-term labour.
Being extremely contagious, measles can spread quickly.
It is vaccine preventable – the measles vaccine is safe and highly effective in protecting people from infection and serious complications.
Measles was common in Australia before measles vaccination was added to the childhood immunisation program in the 1970s. Thanks to our vaccination program, Australia has eliminated local transmission of measles.
But cases continue to occur in Australia, mostly in people who have travelled overseas.
Measles continues to spread in many countries worldwide.
We monitor and report on measles cases in Australia. This helps to identify and manage measles cases and contacts to reduce the risk of spread.
Symptoms
Measles usually starts with a flu-like illness that lasts 2 to 4 days. Common symptoms include:
- fever
- runny nose
- cough
- conjunctivitis
- tiredness
- white spots in the mouth (known as Koplik spots).
A non-itchy, red and blotchy rash appears 2 to 7 days after symptoms start. The rash usually starts on the face or upper neck and then spreads to the body. It lasts for 4 to 7 days.
Measles is often severe. Complications can include:
- lung infection (pneumonia)
- ear infection (otitis media)
- brain inflammation (encephalitis).
healthdirect’s symptom checker can help you work out whether you need to seek medical help.
Onset of symptoms
Symptoms usually start 7 to 18 days after getting infected.
How it spreads
Measles is extremely contagious. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are not immune will become infected if they are exposed to an infected person. This can be through:
- direct contact
- coughing and sneezing
- sharing the same airspace (enclosed area).
The measles virus can stay in the air inside or on surfaces and infect others for up to 2 hours.
Infectious period
People with measles are infectious from the day before their symptoms start until 4 days after the rash appears.
Prevention
Vaccination is the best way to protect against measles for people not already immune.
You should be immune to measles if you have either:
- been fully vaccinated against measles
- previously had measles.
People in Australia who were born before 1966 are generally considered to be immune to measles, as it’s highly likely they had measles during childhood.
Measles vaccines are safe and effective. Two measles vaccine doses are 99% effective at preventing infection from the virus.
At least 6 weeks before you travel overseas, talk to your healthcare professional about:
- checking your immune status – if you aren’t sure whether you’re immune to measles
- vaccination – if you’re not immune
- vaccination for any infants you’re travelling with aged 6 to 12 months – if you are going to a country where measles is circulating.
You should not get vaccinated if you:
- are pregnant
- have a weakened immune system.
You should avoid pregnancy for 28 days after you receive a measles vaccination.
Check with your healthcare professional for advice about measles vaccination.
Eligible people can get measles vaccines for free under the National Immunisation Program or state or territory programs. If you are not eligible for a free vaccine, you can buy one from your healthcare professional or pharmacy.
To protect others, if you have or are suspected of having measles, you should:
- isolate at home
- avoid interacting with people, especially those who are not immune to measles
- not attend work, school, childcare and other high-risk settings
- wear a mask when seeking medical care
- follow the advice of your treating healthcare professional and public health unit.
High-risk groups and settings
Some people are at greater risk of getting measles or of getting very sick from it.
If you are at greater risk, it is especially important to talk to your healthcare professional about measles vaccination and other ways to protect yourself.
Measles spreads quickly in households and crowded places, including:
- early childhood care centres
- schools
- residential care facilities
- healthcare facilities
- detention and correctional facilities.
People at greater risk of severe disease
Measles poses a greater risk of severe illness for:
- people who are not immune
- people with weakened immune systems
- children aged less than 5 years
- adults aged 20 years or older
- pregnant people.
People at greater risk of exposure
People who live, work, or share the same airspace as a person infected with measles are at risk of becoming infected.
People are at greater risk of being exposed to measles if they:
- travel overseas
- work in healthcare, childcare or schools.
Diagnosis and treatment
If you think you might have measles or have been in contact with someone who has measles, call your healthcare professional straight away.
They can diagnose measles with a test, which might require:
- a blood sample
- a urine sample
- a swab from your nose and throat.
You can use healthdirect’s directory to find a health service near you.
There is no specific treatment or medicine for measles. But there are treatments to help with the symptoms and treat any complications. Talk to your healthcare professional.
If you have severe symptoms or complications, you might need treatment in hospital.
Antibiotics are not used to treat measles because they do not work for viral infections. Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them can increase the risk of antibiotic resistance.
Surveillance and reporting
Measles is a nationally notifiable disease – these are diseases that present a risk to public health.
Health authorities in each state and territory report new laboratory confirmed cases to us daily through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.
This helps us to:
- monitor case numbers around the country
- know where to target public health actions.
We analyse this data, and report on measles case numbers through our data visualisation tool, where you can filter and search the latest information.
Read more about our communicable diseases surveillance activities.
Outbreaks
In measles outbreaks, the public health response focuses on quickly identifying and isolating infected people.
Contact tracing is used to identify people who might have been exposed to an infected person, especially those at greater risk of severe disease.
Contacts might be quarantined and offered vaccination or an injection of antibodies to reduce their risk of getting measles.
Read more about how we define and plan for outbreaks and pandemics.
Support
For information about measles in your state or territory see:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia.
For information on staying safe from measles while travelling, see:
We regularly add new content to this website. This will include more topics and diseases. In the meantime, information about other diseases in Australia is on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.