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Measles – an infection of the air causing fever, cough and rashes that can be fatal in rare cases – has been declared officially eliminated from Australia by the World Health Organization. health in 2014.
In developed countries, including Australia, the growing movement of anti-vaccines has seen the resurgence of the disease.
The announcement by Health Minister Greg Hunt came as a series of cases were touching the most populous state of Australia, New South Wales, with the latest Sunday infection alert involving two people on holiday in the Philippines.
Hunt said there had been 83 cases of measles so far this year, compared with 103 for the whole of last year and 81 for 2017.
"I am concerned about the recent increase in the number of measles cases in Australia and I want to make sure that our community is well protected against this very serious disease," Hunt said in a statement.
He warned that due to the changing vaccination schedules of Australians born between 1966 and 1994, some people might have received only one dose of vaccine, instead of two, which makes them more vulnerable to infections.
The Australian Academy of Sciences has developed promotional materials, including videos, to raise public awareness of the need to be fully vaccinated, he added.
In Australia, about 93.5% of two-year-olds received two doses of measles vaccine.
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