Waikato District Health Board (DHB) urges general practices and medical centres to control the recently recognised measles epidemic.
 Medical officer of health Dr Dell Hood (pictured left) says unimmunised people are most at risk. Read the latest information sent to Cambridge GPs 22 December 2011.
Immunisation is free and is the only way to prevent the disease. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are needed to gain the best protection.
Once fully immunised, 90-95 per cent of people are protected from measles.
For several years, general practices have been working to improve measles immunisation rates, following a sharp increase in measles cases in some parts of the country.
- Call Healthline for free health advice
Healthline (0800 611 116) is a free 24-hour telephone health information service for all families. The service is staffed by registered nurses who will assess your health needs, and give information and advice to help you decide on the best level of care.
- If you think you or someone in your care has measles
Prompt identification can help limit the spread of measles to others. If you or anyone in your care displays common symptoms such as a runny nose, cough, sore eyes and fever, followed by a raised red rash that starts on the face and moves to cover the rest of the body, seek immediate medical help – contact Healthline on 0800 611 116 or your local doctor. Phone ahead before visiting a doctor to minimise the spread of infection to others in the waiting room. It is also important that if you suspect you may have measles, or you have had contact with someone suspected to have measles and you are not immune, that you remain in isolation to limit the spread of the disease.
- How do I know if I’m immune?
People born before 1969 or who have received two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) or who have had doctor diagnosed measles in the past are considered to be immune.
- Get immunised
Immunisation is the only effective way to protect against the disease. If you or any children in your care are not up to date with immunisations, then contact your GP or practice nurse and arrange to catch up as soon as possible. MMR is given in two doses, normally at 15 months and 4 years of age giving over 95% protection. However, it’s never too late to get immunised.
- More information on immunisation
For information on immunisation, please phone the Immunisation Advisory Centre free on 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863) or visit them at www.immune.org.nz
 Immunisation has proven to be one of the most effective medical breakthroughs in preventing diseases that used to take an enormous toll on communities, says Immunisation Health Target Champion Dr Pat Tuohy (pictured left).
“Just because we don’t see the kind of epidemics our grandparents lived through doesn’t mean these diseases have disappeared.
Over the past couple of years more than 200 children and adults have caught measles in outbreaks throughout New Zealand.
Some were so sick they had to be hospitalised.”
Immunisation against measles is free and is the best way to prevent the disease, he says.
“Although we’ve made a lot of progress over the past five years, our immunisation rates are still too low to prevent these kinds of outbreaks.
Right now about 88 percent of our two-year-olds are fully immunised but we really need to get to 95 percent to protect our children and our communities from diseases like measles.”
There is more than a 90 per cent chance that an unimmunised person will catch measles if they come into contact with someone who is infected.
Around one in 1000 people who get measles will die from the disease.
Being immunised can ensure that students don’t have to take time off study and lectures because they have caught or been exposed to someone with measles.
Parents have been warned that unimmunised children, or those with no proven immunity to the disease, will be excluded from school for two weeks if a child in their class gets measles.
This is because measles is highly infectious and can have serious complications.
While by law we can’t exclude unimmunised tertiary students who come into contact with measles, we will be asking them to stay home to stop this disease from spreading.
New Zealand has one of the lowest immunisation rates in the OECD. About 80 per cent of children have had all the recommended immunisations by their second birthday, but to prevent outbreaks, the rate needs to be 95 per cent.
For more information talk to your doctor or call the Immunisation Advisory Centre on 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863).
You can also go to www.immune.org.nz or www.moh.govt.nz/immunisation
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