Commuter warning after baby with highly contagious measles travels on Sydney train
A health warning has been issued by NSW Health after an infant who contracted measles overseas visited Bankstown and the Sydney CBD.
The infant was too young to be vaccinated and developed the illness after returning from South Asia, NSW Health said in a statement.
The child is said to have been on a train between Bankstown Station to St James Station on Friday, March 16 between 8am and 9.30am before visiting the Wesley Conference Centre on Pitt Street between 9am and 1pm.
The child returned on the same train route between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.
NSW Health said the infant also visited the Rickard Road Medical Centre and the Rickard Road Chemist the following day between 5pm and 7.30pm.
On Wednesday, March 21, the infant was at the Bankstown Emergency Department between 10am and 1am the following day.
NSW Health's Director of Communicable Diseases Dr Vicky Sheppeard said those most likely to be susceptible to measles are infants under 12 months of age and young adults.
“People in the 20-40 year age bracket may have missed out on the full vaccination program for measles, which was changed in 1998, including a national school-based catch-up, and mistakenly believe they are protected against the disease,” Dr Sheppeard said.
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“The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective protection against measles, and is available for free for those aged 1 to 52 from your GP. If you are unsure whether you have had two doses, it is quite safe to have another dose.”
Anyone beginning to show symptoms is encouraged to visit their GP.
“Our public health units are contacting people known to have been in contact with this latest case to offer preventive injections, where appropriate,” Dr Sheppeard said.
“Vaccination is your best protection against this extremely contagious disease.”
