Measles outbreak has peaked; cases now declining

There have been more than 1400 cases of measles in Auckland but it appears the outbreak has now passed its peak, and the number of new cases is declining, experts say.

Three people remain in hospital in Auckland. They are all children in the Counties Manukau area.

Over the past three weeks there had been fewer numbers and fewer hospitalisations, medical officer of health William Rainger told reporters yesterday.

“That gives us ongoing optimism that the outbreak in Auckland has reached its peak and may be now declining.”

That gives us ongoing optimism that the outbreak in Auckland has reached its peak. Medical officer of health William Rainger

However, given the school holidays and an incubation period of 14 days, public health officials were still monitoring the situation.

Dr Karen Bartholomew, the director of health outcomes for the Waitemata¯ and Auckland DHBs, said the new MMR vaccine stock had arrived and was being distributed to DHBs nationwide.

The priority groups for vaccinations would continue to be 15-month-olds, 4-year-olds and those under 30.

But the additional vaccine would allow them to start focusing on some wider groups such as people in an early childcare setting.

Rainger believed the large amount of vaccinations carried out in recent months would have had a positive impact on curtailing the outbreak.

The concern remained that Auckland cases could still spread to other parts of New Zealand, Rainger said.

The public health unit in Auckland was working closely with others nationwide for contract-tracing of people who had travelled and found to be contagious.

Northland and Southland had cases.

Authorities previously said they were cautiously optimistic the outbreak had peaked in August, and were hoping strong vaccination efforts were paying off.

The latest nationwide figures appear to back that up.

From January 1 to October 10 there have been 1742 confirmed cases of measles notified across New Zealand, 1416 of them in the Auckland region, the Ministry of Health says.