The Briefing Labor’s landslide win + The anti-vaxxers reviving a deadly disease
May 4, 2025
David Tscharke, an infectious disease expert and virologist at the Australian National University, dives into the alarming resurgence of measles globally. He highlights how vaccine hesitancy and misinformation are spreading faster than the disease itself, leading to numerous outbreaks. Tscharke discusses the critical need for high vaccination rates to protect vulnerable populations and debunks myths surrounding vaccine safety. His insights shed light on the consequences of declining vaccination rates and emphasize the urgency of addressing this public health crisis.
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Pandemic's Role in Measles Resurgence
- Disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic halted global vaccination, which helped measles spread.
- The anti-vax movement gained momentum during the pandemic, fueling vaccine hesitancy and outbreaks.
Measles Complications and Mortality
- Measles can cause severe complications including pneumonia and brain infections.
- In a non-vaccinated population, about 1 in 1000 to 1 in 500 people infected may die.
Measles' Extreme Infectivity
- Measles is extremely infectious, with about 9 of 10 unvaccinated people exposed becoming infected.
- It spreads airborne and can cause severe illness, including pneumonia and encephalitis.