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Home
Measles
Measles
There is an active
Perth and Pilbara measles alert
in place – anyone who attended the locations during the listed dates and times should stay alert for symptoms. Clinicians are encouraged to view the
new
Measles quick guide for primary healthcare workers (PDF 324KB)
.
Statutory notification
Measles infection is an
urgently
notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
Alert
: Cases must be reported
urgently
by telephone to the
public health units
within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
Case definition:
See
Measles (external site)
national surveillance case definition.
Notification:
Using the communicable disease notification form for
metropolitan residents (PDF 214KB)
or
regional residents (PDF 213KB)
. For notification of regional residents see contact details of
public health units
.
See also description of
statutory medical notifications in Western Australia
.
Public health summary
Infectious agent:
Measles virus.
Transmission:
Measles is highly infectious and can be spread via airborne and respiratory droplets to those sharing the same airspace.
Incubation period:
7-18 days (average 10 days) from exposure to fever and usually 14 days until rash appears.
Infectious period:
People are usually infectious from 24 hours prior to onset of prodromal symptoms until 4 days after onset of rash. Where the prodrome is undefined, the onset of the infectious period is considered to be 4 days before rash onset.
Case exclusion:
Cases should not attend childcare, school or work from onset of symptoms to 4 days after onset of rash and should stay home (unless isolated in hospital). See
Measles – CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site)
.
Contact exclusion:
Exclude unimmunised contacts from childcare and school. See
Measles – CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site)
.
Treatment:
No specific antiviral treatment. Symptomatic treatment only.
Immunisation:
MMR vaccines to be administered according to the
Western Australian immunisation schedule
.
Anyone born in or after 1966 who is not immune to measles should have two doses of measles vaccine, this especially applies to health care workers, childcare workers or people who plan to travel overseas.
Infants aged under 12 months, who are travelling overseas to countries experiencing a measles outbreak can receive a free measles vaccine (MMR) from six months of age, after an individual risk assessment by their general practitioner or travel doctor (consultation fees may apply).
Healthcare facilities should have an occupational vaccination program in place that offers measles immunity screening/vaccination to new and existing staff (including administrative staff)
–
see
Measles – CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site)
for acceptable evidence of immunity. The Australian Immunisation Handbook provides guidance on
Vaccination for people at occupational risk (external site)
and
Vaccination for people who care for others (external site)
. Also see RACGP
Staff immunisation policy and procedures (external site)
.
For clinical guidance on MMR vaccination, visit the
Measles immunisation program page
and the
Australian Immunisation Handbook – Measles (external site)
.
Case follow-up:
Is conducted by
public health units
and the Communicable Disease Control Directorate.
Information and resources for health providers
Measles quick guide for primary healthcare workers (PDF 324KB)
Western Australian immunisation schedule
Measles immunisation program page
Australian Immunisation Handbook – Measles (external site)
Measles poster – EDs (PDF 940KB)
Measles poster – GPs (PDF 939KB)
Measles poster – Clinician testing guidelines (PDF 934KB)
RACGP Measles fact sheet and checklist (external site)
The New England Journal of Medicine Measles 2025 (external site)
Communicable Disease Guidelines, for teachers, child care workers, local government authorities and medical practitioners (PDF 386KB)
Guidelines for public health units
Measles – CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site)
Measles public health unit checklist (Word 566KB)
Measles information for contacts (Word 583KB)
Measles case investigation form (Word 279KB)
Measles – letter templates for contacts (Word 348KB)
Measles – script template for waiting room contacts (Word 595KB)
WA protocol for accessing immunoglobulin blood products for public health use in Western Australia (PDF 410KB)
Notifiable disease data and reports
Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
General infectious disease reports
Last reviewed:
07-08-2025
Produced by
Public Health
Related links
Notification of infectious diseases and related conditions
Measles immunisation program
Measles (Healthy WA)
Measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine (HealthyWA)