Guidelines for the control of measles outbreaks in Australia - July 2000

This revision¹ of the 1996 National Health and Medical Research Council report Measles: Guidelines for the Control of Outbreaks in Australia was undertaken by a working group of the Measles Elimination Advisory Committee (MEAC) which was established in 1997. Australia's move from the 'outbreak control' phase to the 'elimination' phase of measles elimination precipitated the revision. This shift in strategy involves altering the vaccination schedule, improving surveillance systems and the response to outbreaks, and reducing the susceptibility of at-risk age groups. The guidelines are intended for use primarily by public health officers in State and Territory health departments. However, selected aspects of the guidelines are recommended for use by institutions and health-care facilities that, and professionals who, might be affected by measles. These include child-care facilities, schools, technical colleges, universities, prisons, diagnostic and public health laboratories, general practitioners, paediatricians, physicians and pathologists.

Let's Work Together to Beat Measles

This publication² reports on Australia's Measles Control Campaign. Steps to eliminate measles in Australia commenced in 1998 with the implementation of the 'Immunise Australia: Seven Point Plan'. The Measles Control Campaign was conducted by the Commonwealth in conjunction with the States and Territories. The campaign has resulted in a significant increase in levels of protection against measles among children of preschool and primary school age. The report describes the reasons behind the campaign, progress on elimination strategies and the results to date, and future strategies for measles elimination.

Both publications depict different aspects of measles elimination and each supplements the other. Copies can be obtained from:

Toll free telephone number: 1800 020 103, ext 8654

1. Measles Elimination Advisory Committee. Guidelines for the control of measles outbreaks in Australia. Commun Dis Intell 2000;Technical Report Series No 5.
2. Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care. Let's work together to beat measles. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2000.

Overcoming Antimicrobial Resistance

World Health Organization Report on Infectious Diseases 2000. 67pp.
Electronic version was available from the World Health Organization web site (www.who.int/infectious-disease-report/2000/index.htm) at the time of publication.

Table of Contents
Preface: Our Window of Opportunity is Closing
Chapter 1: A World Without Antibiotics
Chapter 2: The Discovery of Antimicrobials
Chapter 3: Factors Contributing to Resistance
Chapter 4: The Big Guns of Resistance
Chapter 5: Call to Action
Epilogue

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National Hepatitis C Strategy 1999-2000 to 2003-2004

Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2000. 76pp.
http://www.health.gov.au/pubhlth/publicat/document/metadata/hepc_strat9900_0304.htm

[This publication is no longer available and has been replaced by The National Hepatitis C Strategy 2005-2008 - 20 July 2005]

Changes and Challenges. National Hepatitis HIV/AIDS Strategy 1999-2000 to 2003-2004

Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2000. 50pp.
Changes and Challenges. National Hepatitis HIV/AIDS Strategy 1999-2000 to 2003-2004

Hepatitis C: Informing Australia's National Response

Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care ed. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2000. 185pp.

This document has been rescinded but was available from: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-publicat-document-metadata-hepc_informing.htm

HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and Sexually Transmissible Infections in Australia Annual Surveillance Report 2000

National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (ed). Sydney: National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, The University of New South Wales. 2000:96pp.

Electronic version at: HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and Sexually Transmissible Infections in Australia Annual Surveillance Report 2000