Another plea for measles vaccination

The Northland DHB is once again urging parents to ensure their entire wha¯nau are up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations, with 34 cases of measles now confirmed in the region.

“All the recently confirmed cases in Northland are as a result of someone catching measles either during a visit to Auckland or from a visitor from Auckland, and then passing this on to others,” Medical Officer of Health Dr Catherine Jackson said.

“Many people living in Northland travel regularly to Auckland.

“This means their chances of being exposed are high, and vaccination is our best protection.”

It was estimated that 90 per cent of the population must be immune to prevent recurrent outbreaks of measles, and reaching that level of “herd immunity” required 95 per cent of people to have had at least one MMR vaccination. MMR immunisation was usually given at 15 months and four years.

While most children in Northland were immunised, Dr Jackson said, immunisation coverage had declined from close to 90 per cent of 2-yearolds in 2016 to 82 per cent this year. There were also many years of historically lower coverage levels, so immunisation coverage fell to around 70 per cent of children now aged 11 and 12 years. Around one in four teenagers, one in five young adults and one in 10 of those aged 30-49 were not immune to measles.

“Northland’s immunisation rate is a concern, because it is not high enough to limit the spread of measles from person to person, and the impending

"Northland’s immunisation rate is a concern, because it is not high enough to limit the spread of measles from person to person. "

Dr Catherine Jackson

Medical Officer of Health

school holidays and the added challenge of several large interschool competitions happening over the next week or two increases the risk of more measles cases,” Dr Jackson added.

Travelling and large gatherings were an ideal breeding ground for viruses like measles, and health officials were urging people to take up the free vaccination to which all New Zealanders were eligible.

“If you are not sure if you have had a MMR vaccine, check with your usual general practice, or look in your Well Child book. If you can’t find any records, the safest thing to do is to be immunised,” she said.

You can spread measles before you know that this is what is making you sick.

Symptoms can include a fever, cough, runny nose, sore red eyes or other flu-like symptoms.

Most people don’t realise they have the disease until they develop the rash three to five days after they began to feel unwell.

The rash typically starts on the head and face, and then spreads to the rest of the body.