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 "If you’re thinking of traveling into or out of Auckland, you should
make sure you're vaccinated at least two-weeks before you go,"
Associate Minister for Health Julie Anne Genter said in a statement
this week.
"This includes children from 12 months old," she added.
Measles cases are rising globally, including in wealthy nations such
as the United States and Germany, where some parents shun the
vaccines mostly for philosophical or religious reasons, or concerns,
debunked by medical science, that the vaccines against measles,
mumps and rubella (MMR) could cause autism.
In the U.S. more than 1,200 cases have been recorded across 30
states in the worst outbreak since 1992, while other countries like
the U.K and Germany also recorded higher number of cases this year.
In New Zealand, 849 cases of measles have been reported so far this
year, making it New Zealand's worst measles epidemic since 1997.
Of these, 731 cases are in Auckland, and almost a third of those
came in the last two weeks as the outbreak accelerated, state
broadcaster Radio New Zealand reported. The spread of the disease
outside Auckland has been limited.
Earlier this week about 300 Manurewa High School students were sent
home after 13 students contracted measles. The school has told
anyone not immunized to stay home until Monday.
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“New Zealand's measles outbreaks are reflective of what's happening
internationally. There are significant outbreaks occurring worldwide
and cases from these countries are coming into Aotearoa," said
Genter, using the official Maori name for New Zealand.
A teenage girl from New Zealand sick with measles visited Disneyland
and other popular tourist stops across Southern California earlier
this month, possibly infecting others, local government health
officials there warned.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern urged anyone who had not been
immunized against measles to get vaccinated.
"I'm worried about those who choose not to be vaccinated, it is the
most important thing that we can do to prevent the spread of an
outbreak like this so again we just encourage everyone to make sure
that they are vaccinated," Ardern was quoted saying by Radio New
Zealand.
(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
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