With only about 80 percent of New Zealanders immunised against measles, Plunket is urging households with babies to make sure they are vaccinated. Under the National Childhood Immunisation Schedule, the Measles Mumps and Rubella - MMR - vaccine is given at 12 and 15 months, however, it is babies under one who are most at risk of serious illness and complications if they are infected.
Plunket is offering measles vaccinations to the families of babies who are too young to receive it themselves. One of the country's largest schools, Auckland Grammar, is closed for years 9 and 10 today, due to an infectious measles case at the school last Friday. It brings the number in the current outbreak to 13, with more than 2000 close contacts identified so far. Together with the 12 cases in the separate Northland outbreak, that makes 25 known measles cases this month. Plunket chief nurse is Zoe Tipa.
A baby who has measles at a Samoa clinic run by New Zealand doctors in 2019. Photo: RNZ / Logan Church
