Transcript - Today Show - Measles
With international travellers returning with measles, it's a timely reminder to all Australians born since 1965 to ensure they've been vaccinated, AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton has told the Today Show.
Transcript: AMA Queensland President, Dr Maria Boulton, Today, Monday 17 July 2023
Subject: Measles vaccinations
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JAYNE AZZOPARDI: A major health warning has been issued in Queensland after a man walked around Brisbane while infected with measles. For more on this, let's bring in AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton in Brisbane. Good morning to you, doctor. How serious could this be?
DR MARIA BOULTON: Good morning, Jayne. This could be quite serious. Measles spreads very, very rapidly and we know that one person can infect 12 to 18 people. It's one of the most highly infectious diseases. But we do have a vaccine for it that's been around for a long time, and that is our best tool to prevent it.
JAYNE AZZOPARDI: So if people have been vaccinated, does that mean they're safe?
DR MARIA BOULTON: The risk of catching measles when you've been vaccinated is much lower. And what we're asking people to do is to ensure they've had two doses of the measles vaccines if they've been born after 1965. And it's particularly important if you're travelling yourself, especially if you're travelling to an area where measles is prevalent. We know that measles can be quite serious, it can cause pneumonia and it can cause encephalitis, which can lead to death, and it can also lead to brain damage, which is why the alert was issued.
JAYNE AZZOPARDI: So what kind of symptoms should people be on the lookout for?
DR MARIA BOULTON: This is where it gets tricky because it can be quite similar to everything else that's going around. The symptoms are tiredness, cough, sore red eyes, a rash that can start on your face and make its way down to your body, and fevers. And certainly if you've been to any of those places and if you have any of those symptoms, what we ask you to do is please see your GP, but make sure that you ring ahead and book a phone appointment before. We just don't want people sitting in the same waiting room as people who are vulnerable. So if you ring ahead, let people know you're coming, that you're concerned that you have measles, just to make sure that everyone's as safe as possible.
JAYNE AZZOPARDI: All right. Dr Maria Boulton, thanks for your time
