Call us: (09) 424 9050

Measles Outbreak Information

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE MEASLES OR HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH A CONFIRMED CASE OF MEASLES, PLEASE CALL US FIRST ON 09 424 9050 BEFORE COMING IN. WHEN YOU ARRIVE FOR A CONSULTATION, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR AND COMMUNICATE WITH US BY PHONE UNTIL A DOCTOR OR NURSE CALLS YOU IN. IF YOU ARE COUGHING WE WILL ASK YOU TO WEAR A MASK WHEN YOU COME INSIDE. 

If you need evidence of your immunisation status, please email reception@manlymedical.co.nz

Travel advice: The Ministry of Health is now advising anyone under age 50 who is travelling to be up-to-date with their MMR vaccinations or get vaccinated two weeks before travel.

If you are interested in national data, the Public Health Surveillance publishes a weekly list of confirmed cases nationally. This data tells an accurate story of the spread.

Please note that those who are over 50 years old are considered immune, as they have most likely developed natural immunity during their childhoods, when the vaccine was not yet developed.

For those under 50, they have usually been immunised depending on which country they grew up in. There was an earlier vaccine available from 1963. It was improved and the current measles vaccine was developed in 1968.

Measles vaccines were introduced in NZ in 1969, in the UK in 1968, in South Africa in 1975, USA in 1968, Canada in 1970,  in Australia in 1969, Ireland in 1985, China in 1963. Korea in 1965, Hong Kong in 1967, Singapore 1976, Fiji 1982, India 1985.

One dose of the vaccine protects 95 people out of a 100 i.e. 95%. A second dose gives protection to another 3-4 people out of 100.

FAQs:

Why is there an outbreak?

There are a few reasons:

  • Measles is a highly infectious disease, one of the most infectious known. It is estimated that each person with measles will infect 15 others who are not immunised.

  • If someone gets measles, they are infectious 5 days before they even realise it is measles. The first 5 days it looks like an ordinary bad case of flu. The rash only comes out after day 5. So they can infect many people during this period

  • Those they infect only get sick 10 to 14 days later, so there is a lag where many cases develop unseen and in turn each person will infect others before they develop a rash.

  • A country needs 95% coverage to stop measles from spreading. This is called “herd immunity”. In some areas of New Zealand only 60% of people are immunised.

  • There are several reasons why the immunisation rate is so low in some areas such as access issues (time off work, transport), poverty, inequities, health literacy, and fear of side effects of vaccines

  • There is a prominent internet presence of those who believe vaccines are dangerous, fueled by information that may not be 100% correct. 

  • Immunisation rates have dropped in many other countries, primarily because of the anti-vaccine movement, and visitors from overseas can arrive by plane carrying the virus.

  • Those under 40 or 50 years old mostly grew up in a world where measles was very rare (post vaccinations) and have had no experience of the devastating effects of infection.

My baby is less than a year old. What can I do to protect her/him?

Keep your baby away from unvaccinated people and those who are coughing or sniffy as much as possible. Immunise her/him promptly at 12 months, and call us to discuss options if baby is 6-12 months and at day-care and might be exposed. Consider keeping baby home from daycare if possible. The immunisations do not work in babies less than 6 months old, and are only about 60-70% effective in babies 6-12 months.If your baby has been in contact with a known case of measles during their infectious period (5 days before and 5 days after the rash came out) please call us for advice. 

Can my baby have their MMR at 6 months?

The Ministry is not recommending routine measles vaccines at 6-12 months unless your baby has been exposed to an active case of measles during the infectious period (5 days before the rash came out and 5 days afterwards)or will be traveling to a country with an active outbreak. This is because the MMR is only about 60-75% effective at 6 months of age, and we will need to give a total of three jabs if the first one is given at less than 12 months. However, if your baby is at day-care and likely to be exposed to measles, please call us to discuss, we will certainly recommend immunising your baby from 6-12 months if they are at risk.

Currently countries with known outbreaks

  • Africa: DRC, Madagascar, Nigeria

  • South America: Argentina , Brazil, Chile, Columbia Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela

  • USA: all states

  • Europe: France, Poland, Ukraine

  • Israel, Syria

  • Pacific: Japan, Hong Kong, Philippines

  • European countries – Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and the United Kingdom

  • Neighbouring countries in the European region have also been affected: Albania, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine

Is the measles vaccine (MMR) free?

Measles (MMR) immunisations are funded for NZ residents and those eligible for funded medical treatments.

I am an adult and I don’t know if I had a measles vaccine as a child. What do I do?

  • 50 years or older i.e. born before 1969: If you were born before 1969, you are considered immune as there was lots of measles in the population until then. Because measles is highly infectious, it is very unlikely that anyone over 50 years old would have escaped infection and consequently lifelong immunity.

  • Younger than 50 years i.e. born after 1969: The measles vaccine was introduced into most first world countries in 1968-1969 – this includes NZ, Australia, UK, USA. So if you had any immunisations as a child and were born after 1969, you would have definitely got the measles vaccine with all your immunisations. One dose of the vaccine protects 95 people out of a 100 i.e. 95%. A second dose adds another 3-4 people out of 100. 

  • Details of some countries: The current measles vaccine was developed in 1968 and introduced in NZ in 1969, in the UK in 1968, in South Africa in 1975, USA in 1968, Canada in 1970, in Australia in 1969, Ireland in 1985, China 1965, Korea 1965, Hong Kong 1967, Singapore 1976, Fiji 1982, India 1985

  • If this information hasn’t helped and you are under 50 years old, we will assume you were not immunised – please call us to discuss booking for an MMR immunisation

I am an adult under 50 years old and I really can’t remember if I had my immunisations, and my mum/family can’t remember either.

If you are a health care worker in contact with patients, a teacher working with children, or otherwise at risk, you might want to consider having a blood test to check if you are immune, see below. Otherwise please call us to discuss if you require an immunisation.

I want a blood test to check if I am immune to measles.

We are only allowed to order a funded blood test to check immunity if you have been closely exposed to a notified case of measles during their infectious period (5 days before the rash came out, and 5 days afterwards) and the result will impact on school or work attendance. If you haven’t had a close exposure to an infectious case during their infectious period, we are not allowed to order a funded blood test for you. However you can access this test by  paying at Labtests to have a measles immunity blood test (about $50-55). You don’t need a lab form from the doctor, you can just go and request it and pay for it. Please ask for a copy of the results to be sent to us.

How long does measles immunity (natural or from a vaccine) last?

Immunity is lifelong regardless if it is naturally acquired in those older than 50, or by immunisation in those younger than 50

I am an adult/child less than 50 years old and I know definitely I didn’t have any measles immunisations.

You are eligible for a free measles vaccine at the GP. We are currently overwhelmed by the demand and are only able to immunise our registered patients. We are also experiencing a heavy demand and you may not be able to get an appointment at a time that suits you for an immunisation for a few days. Please do not walk in for an immunisation without an appointment, our nurses need to prioritize our vulnerable children first and you will be asked to make an appointment at a later date.

My child/I am sniffly and have a cough and want to be checked in case this is early measles.

Please call us before you arrive if you think you have any signs or symptoms of measles and let us know. When you arrive, please call us from your car and let us know you are here. A doctor or nurse will come to get you from your car, or see you in your car. We need to keep our waiting room and consulting rooms safe for small babies and others at risk.

My child/I have a rash and are very worried this is measles.

Please call us before you arrive if you think you have any signs or symptoms of measles and let us know. When you arrive, please call us from your car and let us know you are here. A doctor or nurse will come to get you from your car, or see you in your car. We need to keep our waiting room and consulting rooms safe for small babies and others at risk.

I/my child have been told I have been in contact with an active case of measles during their infectious period (5 days before the rash came out, and 5 days afterwards).

  • If you are NOT immunised: You need to enter into quarantine from 7 days after the first day you were in contact with the case, and stay in quarantine for 14 days after your last contact with the infected person i.e. a full two weeks. Here is the quarantine calculator, and here is more information for contacts. After your quarantine period is over and you remain well, please book in for an MMR immunisation.

  • If your child that has had a measles contact during the infectious period is less than one year old or is immuno-compromised (has a weakened immune system, has cancer, on immuno-suppressant treatment such as chemotherapy, oral steroids etc), please call us for advice.

  • If you ARE immunised: you are safe, you cannot spread the illness to others, and do not need to enter into quarantine.

I/my child have been told I have been in contact with an active case of measles, but this was NOT during their infectious period (5 days before the rash came out, and 5 days afterwards).

You will not be infected by that case, but you are still generally vulnerable. Please call us to check if you require an MMR immunisation

My doctor has said I may have measles. What do I do?

Information about quarantine and keeping others safe can be found here. If you have a health concern whilst you are unwell, please call the practice before arriving.  Unfortunately there is no specific treatment for measles. Here is some more information about this illness. Things that can help are bed rest in a quiet dark room, paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain/fever, drinking lots of fluids, wiping the eyes gently with wet cotton wool or a soft facecloth. If you have concerns about these symptoms please call us, do not break quarantine:

  • trouble breathing

  • stiff neck

  • feeling drowsy or you cannot wake them up

  • coughing up green or yellow thick mucous

  • back pain 

  • sore ears

  • having a fit (seizure)

  • not passing urine for 10 hours.

How dangerous is measles? Has anyone died in Auckland?

Thankfully there has been no fatalities during the current outbreak. Measles has a mortality rate of 1-2/1000 people infected. About one third of people infected during this outbreak are needing hospital admission for complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis. Babies, small children with lowered immunity, and adults who are immuno-compromised (e.g. organ transplants, cancer etc) have a 50% mortality from measles. In the 1991 outbreak of measles in NZ, there were around 7000 cases of measles and 7 deaths.

I have been in contact with a family member of a confirmed case of measles. I am not immunised against measles. What do I do?

  • If the family member has followed full quarantine instructions, you do not have to go into quarantine, but you are still vulnerable to other cases in the community who might be infectious. Please book in to have your measles immunisation with us.

  • If they have not followed quarantine instructions, and you have been exposed to them during the quarantine period, you need to go into quarantine from 7 days after you first saw them and an additional 7 days after i.e. a full two weeks.  After this period, if you have not contracted measles, you can book in for an immunisation. Please do not come into the practice for an immunisation during your quarantine period. If you become unwell in your quarantine period, please phone us and we will advise what to do. Please do not come into the practice without calling us first and a doctor or nurse will get you from your car.

I have heard that the MMR contains egg and I am allergic to egg.

The modern MMR vaccine does not contain egg albumin

I am allergic to antibiotics and I have heard that the MMR contains antibiotics.

The MMR contains a tiny amount of Neomycin in order to keep it sterile. If you are allergic to Neomycin please call us to discuss.

I have heard that the MMR causes seizures in children.

Children commonly get febrile seizures during childhood, These are commonly not dangerous and there is an extra 1/1000 of these seizures after MMR.  Measles disease is particularly dangerous to the brain. 1 in 1000 people with measles develop inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) – 15 in 100 of these people die and approximately 30 in 100 are left with permanent brain damage. 1 in 100,000 people who have had measles may, years later, develop a serious brain inflammation called sub acute sclerosing pan encephalitis (SSPE). This serious complication always results in death.

I have heard that the MMR can cause my baby to get a cough.

The MMR vaccine can cause your child to have a bit of a runny nose and cough as it teaches your child’s immune system to learn to recognise and kill the measles virus. This does not mean your child will necessarily get pneumonia. Only 1 out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, the most common cause of death from measles in young children.

I have heard that the MMR vaccine can cause my baby to get measles.

The vaccine is a very weak virus and cannot give your baby measles. Also, those who have received the vaccine cannot give measles to anyone else.

My family member is on chemotherapy and I am worried I will give them measles if I have the MMR immunisation.

You cannot give measles to anyone when you have your MMR vaccine.

I have heard that the measles vaccine (MMR) causes autism.

There was a paper published 1998 claiming the MMR caused autism, which has since been found to be untrue and withdrawn, and the author Dr. Wakefield was found guilty of ethical, medical, and scientific misconduct and his medical license was cancelled. Additional studies showed that the data presented were fraudulent. There is no evidence that this vaccine causes autism

I have heard that the measles vaccine (MMR) contains mercury.

The MMR does not contain mercury.

I am pregnant/trying to get pregnant. Can I have the measles vaccine (MMR)?

Unfortunately it is not safe to have this vaccine whilst you are pregnant, or if you are not using contraception and may be pregnant. This is because the vaccine is a weakened live virus and will pass to the fetus and may cause harm. We recommend that you use contraception for a month and have a negative pregnancy test before we give you this vaccine. In addition, we recommend that you do not fall pregnant for one month after this vaccine is given.

I am on immuno-suppressant medication. Can I have the vaccine?

No this virus is a weakened live virus and may harm you if you are on any of these medications.

Where can I find more information about vaccines?

Immunisation Advisory Centre of New Zealand

Links to full resources from ARPHS

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