Keep calm over measles

If you’re the parent of a newborn baby and live in Canterbury, it’s probably a tall order, but now is surely a time for calm heads and increased vigilance as health authorities try to bring under control a measles outbreak that by yesterday had seen 22 confirmed cases.

Yes, there are inevitable frustrations for those who face the worry of not yet being able to have a child vaccinated, or have an autoimmune disease, which means they can’t be vaccinated and must rely on the herd immunity authorities try to create to protect communities. Especially given the warnings that an unimmunised person coming within two metres of one who is infectious has a 90 per cent chance of contracting measles.

But it seems unlikely that widespread social media attacks against anti-vaxxers will actually improve the situation now. Those who genuinely believe they have compelling reasons for not vaccinating their children – and possibly got their information from social media in the first place – probably won’t change their minds in the face of a barrage from those who feel hard done by and afraid. It may simply serve to entrench their positions, and exacerbate confusion.

The New Zealand situation is not quite as simple as vaccinated or not vaccinated anyway. Some aged between 30 and 50 have got sick despite receiving a single MMR vaccination, when they should have had two. No-one who had both MMR vaccines has fallen ill. It’s important now that the words of those who genuinely know what they’re talking about are amplified, to hasten the end of this outbreak.

A week ago, an 18-year-old student from Ohio, Ethan Lindenberger, recounted at a hearing of the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labour and Pensions, how he had sought vaccination despite his family’s wishes. He told the committee his mother’s opposition to vaccines stemmed largely from a fear they could cause brain damage or autism. British doctor Andrew Wakefield linked the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism in 1998, but his research has since been completely discredited.

Several doctors told the committee there was no evidence to support the link, the same conclusion reached by a Danish study of 650,000 children over 10 years.

Lindenberger emphasised to the committee that his mother’s opposition stemmed from concern. ‘‘I have tried to convey to my parents I don’t think they are stupid for believing that, but people are very convincing and that’s very dangerous,’’ he said.

That considered approach seems useful here. Vaccinations are being rolled out as quickly as possible.

The Canterbury District Health Board’s aim yesterday was to contain the disease in the region. The outbreak is the second this year, following a less serious one in Waikato in January.

Canterbury medical officer of health Dr Alistair Humphrey indicated how seriously it is being taken when he said most GPs were making sure those they thought might have measles were being assessed in medical centre car parks.

Calmness and diligence on the part of health authorities and the general public are needed now. Once the outbreak is under control, education and catching up the vaccinations of as big a proportion of Kiwis as possible before the next one must surely be priorities.

It’s important now that the words of those who genuinely know what they’re talking about are amplified ... to hasten the end of this outbreak.