Measles vaccines at pharmacies
New Zealanders will soon be able to get measles vaccines from about 450 pharmacies around the country.
Up to October 25 there have been 1938 confirmed cases of measles across New Zealand this year. In some areas, the vaccine ran out, but now people will be able to visit a trained pharmacist as soon as contracts with DHBs are agreed on.
Yesterday, associate health minister Julie Anne Genter said there were about 30 pharmacies in Counties Manukau that could vaccinate and be called on, of 450 nationwide.
‘‘Pharmacist vaccinators played an important role in responding to the Northland meningococcal outbreak, providing more than 700 vaccines in that region ... we know this is a system that works.’’
Once the pharmacists are contracted they can vaccinate people over the age of 16.
This year, more than 300,000 vaccines have been distributed in
2019 compared to 150,000 for all of last year. During the next three months, 155,000 vaccines will arrive – 85,000 next month and
70,000 by early January. Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand president Ian McMichael said there had been conversations about this move for years. ‘‘Everything that we hear from our pharmacists is that they are really keen to get more involved in all of these areas. They do see themselves as being highly accessible.’’
Each DHB would act with their own urgency to get the service in place, he said.
Until now the focus has been on immunising those most at risk – babies and children.
Genter said as the illness has spread, they can focus on the older demographic who need immunisation, too. One vaccine protected 95 per cent of people, while two vaccinations protected 99 per cent of people, she said.
A ministerial notification was required under section 106 of the Medicines Act for the vaccine to be given without a doctor’s prescription.
The vaccine is free in New Zealand for those born in 1969 or later.
People older than this are considered likely to be immune as they may have been exposed to measles when younger.