Fellow anti-vaccination activists agreed it was nothing to be worried about. Lucinda Ubilla fears taking daughters Catalina 4 years and Isabella 5 months to outings during the measles outbreak as her baby is too young to be vaccinated. Credit:Justin McManus "And now that he's had measles he's getting a stronger immune system. The way nature intended," one woman wrote. The Department of Health says for every 1000 children who get measles, one or two will die from the disease or get swelling in their brain that can cause convulsions and intellectual disability.

Measles is a notifiable disease, but the woman told supporters that the emergency doctor had failed to isolate her son. "Funny how no one wanted to record my child's case ... The emergency doctor didn't isolate him he actually was just like yeah measles it's a childhood illness he will be fine," she wrote. She later told Fairfax her child was never tested for measles and threatened to sue if incorrect information about her son's case was published. Meanwhile, mothers with young babies say they are avoiding taking their children to cafes, parks or public libraries, for fear of them catching the disease. Lucinda Ubilla, from West Footscray, has a 5-month old baby daughter, who is too young for measles vaccinations, and a four-and-a-half year old daughter, who is fully vaccinated.

With reports of a measles case in West Footscray (the case was later ruled out as measles), and confirmed cases in Brunswick, Brunswick East, Preston, Princess Hill and an unidentified suburb in Melbourne's east, Ms Ubilla is concerned that taking both girls out could expose the baby to a potentially fatal disease. Since the outbreak, her older daughter has missed swimming lessons and basketball. On Wednesday, Ms Ubilla cancelled a catchup at the local library. "If diseases are preventable, why put your child at risk of serious implications or even fatality when you can have a vaccine?" she said. "It's for the good of the community. If I vaccinate my child it's one less person who can pass on these diseases." Victoria's acting Chief Health Officer, Dr Roscoe Taylor said on Tuesday GPs had been asked to provide and promote vaccination to patients.

Dr Taylor said measles was a highly infectious viral disease that usually began with common cold symptoms such as fever, sore throat, red eyes and a cough. Its characteristic rash usually began 3-7 days after the first symptoms, generally starting on the face and then spreading to the rest of the body. "If you know you have been in contact with a measles case, please alert your GP or hospital emergency department. The doctor or hospital will then be able to provide treatment in a way that minimises transmission."