Sydney airport, flight to Melbourne put on alert for measles

NSW Health officials are urging passengers traveling in Sydney Airport’s domestic and international terminals and those traveling on two flights to remain vigilant for measles as the number of exposure sites continues to increase.

Passengers on Jetstar Flight JQ505/JST505, which departed Sydney to Melbourne Tullamarine Airport at 8am on 18 February, and Garuda Indonesia Flight GA712/GIA712, which arrived in Sydney at 11am on 17 February, were asked to monitor for symptoms of the highly contagious and potentially fatal disease.

Everyone who was at the Sydney International Airport arrivals terminal and baggage area between 11am and 1.30pm on 17 February, at the International taxi rank between 1pm and 1.45pm, and at the Domestic Terminal 2 Departure Terminal between 5.30am and 8.30am on 18 February was alerted.

Northern Beaches Hospital Emergency Department in Sydney was also affected between 11.40am and 8.50pm on 14 February and Ward 4C between 8.08pm and 1.56am, Brookvale Medical Urgent Care Clinic between 10.40am and 12.05pm and Advanced Health Pharmacy in Bankstown between 4.45pm and 5.30pm on 17 February.

It brings the number of available exposure sites to 55.

Anyone who visits the exposure site is advised to monitor for symptoms for 18 days.

A number of popular Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, are struggling with measles outbreaks.

Measles is an airborne disease and is highly contagious and spread when an infectious person coughs or sneezes.

Symptoms include fever-like conditions such as runny nose, eye pain, and cough, and are often followed days later by a red, splotchy rash that can spread from the head to the rest of the body.

In extreme cases, it can lead to death, especially among children and vulnerable people.

Measles vaccination is free to anyone in NSW born after 1965 who has not received two doses of the vaccine.