Measles cases have already been reported in most states in Australia this year. Cases tripled here last year, compared with the previous one. It’s hard to believe just over a decade earlier, in 2014, the disease had been declared eliminated in Australia by the World Health Organization, thanks to the efficacy of the preventative vaccine.
But like many other countries around the world – particularly the United States, which has a “measles crisis” – we’ve seen a resurgence in outbreaks since the pandemic. Experts trace it to declining vaccination rates created by post-COVID “vaccine hesitancy” (as well as international travel).
