Remembering 9000 killed by flu
A memorial honouring the thousands of Kiwis and Samoans who died in an influenza pandemic has been unveiled as both countries face a measles outbreak.
Influenza killed 9000 New Zealanders in six weeks during 1918. It heavily affected Ma¯ ori and also spread to Samoa, where it killed 8000 people, or 22 per cent of the population.
A ship travelling from New Zealand was held responsible for transmitting influenza to Samoa, and the Government formally apologised for the deaths in 2002.
New Zealand has similarly been blamed for recent measles outbreaks in the Pacific, and eight nurses have been sent to Samoa to assist health workers.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unveiled a plaque remembering the pandemic victims at the Pukeahu National War Memorial in Wellington yesterday.
Ardern said it was part of New Zealand’s history that provided lessons.
‘‘We’ve learnt an extraordinary amount now about control and public health control when pandemics like this occur . . . But we still need to learn the lessons around things like immunisation.’’
Nearly 2000 people have contracted measles in New Zealand this year, and three have died in Samoa.
In Tonga, public health officials have blamed New Zealand for its spread.
‘‘We have very different medicine and very different knowledge. New Zealand is working closely, in terms of resource, with our Pacific Island neighbours in the face of measles,’’ Ardern said.
Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter said eight New Zealand nurses have travelled to Samoa in recent weeks, to train local staff to give vaccines.
‘‘I believe that our ministry is providing significant advice on how Samoa responds to the outbreak,’’ she said.
In New Zealand, the measles rate was decreasing. Genter said a campaign to promote vaccination would be launched next year.