Media Release

19 August 2009

Unimmunised children excluded from class in measles outbreak

Parents are reminded to get their children immunised against measles, or risk having them sent home from school for two weeks if there is a measles outbreak.

Children who have no proven immunity to measles (through either immunisation or previous exposure to the disease) will be sent home from schools and early childhood centres if a child in their class gets measles.

The reminder comes amid growing concern of a potential measles epidemic.
The number of notified measles cases so far this year is already seven times the total number of cases last year. There have been more than 100 cases in Canterbury, with 11 hospitalisations. The number of cases in Auckland is growing and there are isolated cases in other regions.

Under the Health (Infectious and Notifiable Diseases) Regulations 1966 (Section 14), infected students and teachers will be excluded from school for seven days from the appearance of the rash.

Children who are exposed to infected people and who are unimmunised, or have no proven immunity to measles, will be excluded from school for 14 days from their last contact. This exclusion also applies to students taking part in sporting events.
Chief Advisor, Child and Youth, Dr Pat Tuohy says, “Measles is a highly infectious notifiable disease, with serious complications including ear infections, pneumonia and encephalitis or inflammation of the brain. We are really concerned that the current low immunisation levels mean many children are vulnerable to measles and may get very sick from this disease.”
Measles is extremely infectious and easily spread.
“Parents need to be aware that if their child is not immunised and comes into contact with a child infected with measles, there is more than a 90 percent chance they will catch measles,” he says.
Around one in 1000 children who catch measles will die from the disease. Immunisation is free, and although not perfect, is the best way to prevent the disease. Once immunised, 90 to 95 percent of people are protected from measles.
For more information talk to your family doctor or call the Immunisation Advisory Centre on 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863). You can go to http://www.immune.org.nz or http://www.moh.govt.nz/immunisation

ENDS

For media inquiries please contact Michelle Quirke 027 286 7055

Questions and Answers

What is Measles?
Measles is sometimes known as English Measles. It leads to ear infections, pneumonia and diarrhea in about one in 10 cases. About one in 1000 cases gets encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), of whom 15 in 100 people die and 25–35 people in 100 are left with permanent brain damage.

Why is it important to stop the spread of measles?
Measles is a preventable disease – but only if immunisation rates are high and we respond to outbreaks quickly. New Zealand and other countries in the Western Pacific have all agreed to eradicate measles by 2012. The goal is for no New Zealanders to get measles, and to stop its spread to other countries.

How can you catch measles?
Measles is highly infectious and is spread by sneezing, coughing or from direct contact with nasal or throat secretions. It is estimated that up to 13 people can become infected from coming into contact with just one person with measles.

What are the symptoms?
Measles usually causes a rash, high fever, runny nose, cough and sore watery eyes. A person is infectious from one day before the start of symptoms to four days after the appearance of the rash. A fever might not appear until 10-12 days after a person is infected and the characteristic measles rash can take several more days to develop.

How is measles diagnosed and treated?
If a doctor suspects measles they can confirm it through a blood test or throat swab. Usually the only treatment is to relieve symptoms. It is important that anyone with measles stays at home until they are no longer infectious – at least four days after the rash appears.

Who should receive the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine?
The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is given free routinely at 15 months and four years of age as part of the National Immunisation Schedule. As a result of the current measles outbreak, doctors are being asked to recall all children aged between 12 months and 12 years who have not received one dose of MMR. This means that some children aged between 12 months and 15 months may receive their first dose of the vaccine early, in order to give them immediate protection from measles. As well, all adults born after 1969 are eligible for a free MMR booster.

How effective is the MMR vaccine?
It is estimated that 90 to 95 per cent of people are protected after both doses. Though some people will still get the disease even if they have been immunised, it is usually not as severe as it is in people who have not been vaccinated. The measles vaccine was not introduced in New Zealand until 1969. Most adult New Zealanders are thought to be immune to measles through previous exposure to the disease.

Can I get a measles-only vaccine?
No. Not in New Zealand. The two measles-only vaccines licensed for use in New Zealand are no longer available from the manufacturer.