The global increase in measles cases in 2019, coupled with the tragic outbreak in Samoa and the ongoing importation of measles into Australia, demonstrates the devastating impact of this highly infectious disease on the community. 

In this seminar, our key speaker Professor David Durrheim, an international measles expert, provided an update on the global situation, as well as the latest vaccination recommendations.

We then heard from Dr Blessy John-Denny about her experience responding to the measles outbreak in Samoa, and the clinical and health system impacts involved. 

This webinar explored the public health implications of measles, how to protect our community and what we can learn from regional and global experiences.

Video resources: 

Speakers: 
 

DD

Professor David Durrheim
David Durrheim is Director of Health Protection, Hunter New England Health; Conjoint Professor of Public Health Medicine at the University of Newcastle; and Adjunct Professor of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at James Cook University, Queensland, Australia. He currently chairs the Western Pacific Regional Measles Rubella Verification Commission and is a member of the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) working groups on Ebola vaccines, measles and rubella.




 

Blessy

Dr Blessy John-Denny
Blessy John-Denny is a Paediatrician and a Paediatric Emergency Physician at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Clinical Associate lecturer for the Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney. Blessy recently returned from Apia, Samoa after assisting with the measles outbreak where she led the high dependency unit in Apia’s Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital during December and January.

 

 

 

 

 

Last updated March 2020