Western Australia could be heading toward its worst measles outbreak in five years, as health officials race to contain the spread of the highly contagious disease. With three cases already recorded just three months into the year, the state has reached half the total count seen in both 2023 and 2024 combined.
The latest case was confirmed at Bunbury Regional Hospital, prompting health authorities to issue alerts for anyone who visited the facility between March 19 and 23. This follows an outbreak at Hakea Prison in Perth’s south-east suburbs, which has already disrupted court proceedings across the state.
“It was actually a prisoner that was being treated at the hospital that was the likely exposure for the case associated with Bunbury hospital,” said Paul Effler, Senior Medical Advisor from the WA Department of Health. “There’s a couple cases related to the Hakea exposure right now and others are under investigation.”
Prison Outbreak Causing Judicial Delays
The prison outbreak has created significant disruption in WA’s court system. A District Court trial was halted when two accused persons were suspected of having measles. Another Hakea inmate was unable to attend a separate hearing and remains in isolation. Court officials will decide Monday whether trials can proceed, depending on the health status of those involved.
WA Health confirmed it is working with the Department of Justice to offer vaccines to prisoners and staff who aren’t already protected.
Growing List of Exposure Sites
Health authorities have identified nearly 35 exposure sites including Fiona Stanley Hospital and Beeliar Urgent Care Clinic in Yangebup. The full list is available on the WA Health website. Officials are urging anyone who visited these locations during specific timeframes to monitor for symptoms including fever, tiredness, runny nose, cough, sore red eyes, and a red blotchy rash.
Dr. Effler emphasized that people typically develop symptoms about 10 days after exposure, with a possible range of 7-18 days.
Who’s at Risk?
Most older Australians contracted measles as children and are now immune for life. However, those born after 1994 need two doses of the MMR vaccine for strong protection. People aged between 30 and 60 who received only one vaccine dose remain vulnerable.
“All the cases in WA this year have been within that age bracket,” Dr. Effler noted.
The outbreak in WA adds to a growing national tally, with more than 30 cases confirmed across Australia, mostly in New South Wales and Victoria.
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Global Context and Vaccine Hesitancy
This local outbreak comes amid a broader global resurgence. The United States has recorded 378 confirmed cases and two deaths this year as of March 20, according to government statistics.
“Measles is a really deadly illness,” said Dr. Danielle McMullen, Australian Medical Association President. “Immunisation is the way to prevent the deaths and long-term disability from measles and it’s really important that we maintain our fantastic immunisation rates in Australia.”
Epidemiologist Raina MacIntyre points to declining vaccination rates as a key factor in the current situation. “Our childhood vaccination rates have dropped from about 94 percent to 91 percent,” she said. “That’s part of a worldwide trend we’ve seen after the COVID pandemic of increasing vaccine hesitancy.”
Dr. Effler emphasized the extreme contagiousness of measles: “Measles is so infectious, it’s the most infectious disease known to humans. But there’s a very effective vaccine available.”

Health officials are concerned that vaccine fatigue and misinformation may also be affecting other vaccination programs. Federal government data shows a 15 percent drop in flu vaccinations in 2024 compared to the previous year.
What to Do If Exposed
Health authorities advise anyone who develops symptoms of measles to:
- Put on a mask
- Isolate immediately
- Seek medical care for testing
The situation remains fluid, with health departments working to track every person who may have been exposed and contain what could become the state’s worst measles outbreak since 2020.