Paul Bibby
The Northern NSW Local Health District is urging locals to look out for measles symptoms after a person from Queensland visited Mullumbimby while infectious last weekend.
The health district said that people who visited the following areas on these dates may have been exposed:
• Saturday, 2 November in the afternoon – Mullumbimby IGA
• Sunday, 3 November, approximately 1:30pm – Liberty Petrol Station Mullumbimby
The acting director of the north coast public health unit, Greg Bell said the locations did not pose an ongoing risk, but anyone who was in these areas at the same time as the infected person should watch for measles symptoms until November 21.
‘It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear following exposure to a person with measles,’ Mr Bell said.
‘Symptoms to watch out for include fever, sore eyes and a cough followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body.
‘Anyone who develops symptoms of measles should arrange to see their GP and limit their exposure to others, including patients at the GP clinic.’
Mr Bell encouraged everyone in the Mullumbimby area to ensure they had received two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, which provides lifelong protection in 99 out of 100 people who are vaccinated.
Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air when someone who is infectious with the disease coughs or sneezes.
While the risk of infection is low in fully-vaccinated people, health experts urge anyone who comes into contact with a person with measles to watch for symptoms.
More than a little hypocritical of the Echo to be passing on vaccination advice when the paper has been active in disseminating vaccine doubt and disinformation.
I think the correct term is touché.
Mr David Sanderson: Hypocritical? More like balanced reporting methinks.
There is nothing balanced about undermining the importance of vaccination
If people who have been vaccinated are in danger of infection doesn’t that raise questions about this vaccine?
Please leave the public health advice on vaccination – including misleading questioning – to qualified health authorities like Northern NSW Local Health District.
No. Have a look at the statistics, risk of infection is miniscule, negligible, virtually unheard of.
Was it really a warning from an actual health expert or just ‘the Echo’ editorialising?
I don’t think any vaccine is 100% effective with low levels of vaccination enhancing the spread. This makes it more likely that both the unvaccinated and unsuccessfully vaccinated will come into contact with the pathogen and contract the disease. And we are talking about Mullumbimby here – I’d be extra vigilant.
Given the US has paid out over 4 billion in compensation for vaccine damage since 1988 it is healthy for the Echo to disseminate info that questions vaccination.
We have a highly qualified body in ATAGI to assess international research and issues on vaccination. The Echo and others like you have no mandate or qualification to undermine the advice that they provide through bodies like Northern NSW Local Health District, and the through that the safety of our community. It is the same technique the tobacco industry used for decades to create an impression of informed debate and dissent that was not there.
And smoking is healthy.
And asbestos is safe.
And the earth is flat. Why would anyone trust doctors, they’re worse than climate scientists
Good for see the echo fulfilling its civic duty in this matter.
Yes – the Echo has fulfilled its civic duty. As for
Climate scientists the latest 11,000 agree there
is a Climate Crisis even if our parliament thinks
it’s Disney Channel kid stuff.