The Health of Queenslanders 2006 - Report of the Chief Health Officer Queensland

Adults born between 1966 and 1980 are at higher risk of measles, mumps and rubella, due to relatively low levels of immunity. Adults born before 1966 have probably been exposed to wild virus, and those born since 1980 have probably received two doses of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. Those born between 1966 and 1980 may not have had two doses because of changes in the immunisation schedule over time. In 2005, this group accounted for nearly half of the notifi ed cases of mumps in Queensland. A national MMR vaccine campaign in 2001 failed to reach a substantial proportion of persons in this age group. Queensland continues to provide free vaccination for this age group although uptake is generally slow. 4.8 Communicable disease