Queensland faces declining measles vaccination amid global surge

A new study by University of Queensland scholars tracked measles trends in more than 200 countries, documenting a 40 percent rise in cases after the COVID pandemic and highlighting severe mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The analysis noted that global progress since the 1990s has been reversed, with the disease rebounding faster than many expected. Although Australasia maintains some of the world's highest vaccination rates, Australian Immunisation Register data show a steady decline over the past three years, and Queensland now records the lowest coverage among Australian states.

Infectious-disease specialist Paul Griffin reported an uptick in measles presentations at hospitals, mainly among children lacking immunisation. He cautioned that while severe outcomes have been rare since endemic measles was eliminated in 2014, rising case numbers could revive complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.