MEASLES FRONTLINE
What you need to know
Parents of unvaccinated children are being urged not to take them in or out of Auckland as authorities try to prevent the measles outbreak from spreading any further. Unvaccinated students at one school in the city are being asked not to attend a nationwide sports tournament. The number of confirmed measles in Auckland has risen to 731, compared with 144 in the rest of the country. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern echoed the call for parents to vaccinate their children.
What is measles?
Measles is a viral illness that causes a skin rash and fever. It is very contagious.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Symptoms usually begin to show about 10 to 14 days after infection with the virus.
The illness begins with fever, cough, runny nose and conjunctivitis (inflammation in the eyes), which lasts for 2-4 days.
It may be possible to see small white spots (Koplik spots) inside the mouth.
A rash appears 2-4 days after the first symptoms, beginning at the hairline and gradually spreading down the body to the arms and legs. The rash lasts for up to one week.
You can have measles and spread it to others before you feel sick or show any symptoms.
How does measles spread?
The virus spreads easily through the air by sneezing or coughing. It can also be spread by contact with surfaces contaminated with an infected person’s nose and throat secretions.
Measles can also be caught by breathing the same air as an infected person, such as sitting next to them on the bus. The virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed.
How long will it be before I know if I’ve caught measles?
It usually takes 10 to 14 days for someone who has caught measles to start showing symptoms.
If you have been near someone with measles, and don’t know if you’re immune, seek medical advice immediately and remain in quarantine at home.
What to do if you have measles?
If you catch measles, you should stay at home (isolation) for five days after your rash appears. This means you can recover, and you also won’t spread the illness.
Do not go to work, school, preschool, group or social activities, sports, or public places like movie theatres, shopping malls, supermarkets, other food markets and cafes.
If you are concerned about measles, call Healthline on 0800 611 116 or call your GP.
Please do not just turn up to your GP, after hours or emergency department as you could potentially infect others.
How serious is measles?
Measles can cause serious complications including diarrhoea, ear infections, pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain), or, in rare cases, death.
One in 10 people with measles will need hospital treatment.
It is especially dangerous for pregnant women who are not immune, babies and people with weakened immune systems.
Measles during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, early labour and low birth-weight babies.
The risk of complications and death is greater in children under 5 years and adults over 20 years of age.
How can I protect myself and my family against measles?
The best protection against measles is to be vaccinated with two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine.
One dose of MMR will protect about 95 per cent of people, and two doses protect around 99 per cent of people.
It can take around two weeks for a person to be fully immune after being vaccinated.
The MMR shot is free for anyone under 50 who has not had two documented doses. It is available nationwide at any general practice clinic.
What age should children get vaccinated?
All 1-year-old children in Counties Manukau, Auckland and Waitemata DHBs should receive their first MMR early to protect them from measles.
The 15-month immunisations, which include MMR, have been brought forward to age 12 months in this region.
During a measles outbreak, babies as young as 6 months can be immunised.
The risk of catching measles is lower for the rest of New Zealand so the normal immunisation schedule should be maintained with MMR given at 15 months and 4 years.
In Auckland and everywhere else, older children and adults aged up to 50 years who have no documented evidence of vaccination against measles are recommended to get vaccinated.
I’m not sure if I’ve been vaccinated. What should I do?
Talk to your doctor as the information may be in your medical records. You may also have your own health records, e.g. your Plunket or Well Child/ Tamariki Ora book.
If you can’t find your records, vaccination is recommended.
Is anyone immune from measles?
People develop immunity to measles, mumps and rubella either by catching the disease or being vaccinated with the measlesmumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Adults aged 50 years or older (born in New Zealand before 1969) are generally considered to be immune as there was no measlescontaining vaccine until 1969.
What to do if you are travelling to Auckland or overseas?
Babies aged 12 to 14 months who are travelling to Auckland or overseas should receive all four 15-month vaccinations (MMR, varicella, Hib and PCV10) at least two weeks before travelling to allow their immunity against measles to develop.
Infants aged 6 months or older travelling to countries with serious measles outbreaks should be given MMR vaccine before their travel. This is an additional vaccination for these infants — they will still need their usual MMR vaccinations at 12-15 months and 4 years old.
The Ministry of Health advises people travelling overseas to make sure they are fully vaccinated before they go.
Is vaccination compulsory?
Vaccination is not compulsory in New Zealand but it is a good choice. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks.
The risk of MMR vaccine causing serious harm is extremely small.
● The Ministry of Health website — www.health.govt.nz
● The Auckland Regional Public Health Service website — www.arphs.health.nz
● The Immunisation Advisory Centre website — www.immune.org.nz (or free phone 0800 466 863)