Travellers have been urged to check for symptoms of measles after a confirmed case flew into Sydney from South East Asia while infectious this week.
The alert is for those who visited Sydney Kingsford Smith’s international arrivals and baggage claim area on Monday June 16 between 8am and 9.30am.
Passengers who were on board Vietnam Airlines Flight VN773, which departed Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday June 15 at 8pm, arriving to the Harbour City the following morning at 8am, are also told to be on the lookout for any signs of the highly-contagious disease.
Symptoms include fever, cough and a runny nose, which is then followed by a distinct rash that spreads from the face to the rest of the body three to four days later.
The confirmed case had travelled to Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Despite the locations no longer posing a threat to the pubic, those who visited those areas, or have been in contact with people who have, should be alert for measles signs.
“It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after an exposure, so it’s important for people who visited these locations to look out for symptoms up until 4 July 2025,” Dr Mitchell Smith, from NSW Health, said in a statement.
“It’s important for people to stay vigilant if they’ve been exposed, and if they develop symptoms, to please call ahead to their GP or emergency department to ensure they do not spend time in the waiting room with other patients.”
He also urged people to stay up to date with vaccines, especially for measles.
In particular, those born after 1965 need to have two doses of a measles vaccine.
“This is especially important before overseas travel, as measles outbreaks are occurring in several regions of the world at the moment,” Dr Smith added.
Anyone experiencing measles symptoms can also call healthdirect on 1800 022 222.
