Measles warning for NZ Rugby World Cup travellers
9 September 2011
Health authorities are urging rugby fans travelling to New Zealand for the World Cup to make sure their measles vaccinations are up to date, following reports that Auckland is experiencing a measles outbreak.
NSW Health issued the advice on 6 September, encouraging anyone who had not had 2 doses of measles vaccine to get immunised. Measles vaccine is included in the triple vaccine called MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) which is recommended in Australia for children aged 12 months and 4 years.
People going to New Zealand were advised to visit their GP for the MMR vaccine before they travelled.
"Two doses of the vaccine are recommended to give lifelong protection. Many young adults are at risk if they have never been immunised, or if they only received one vaccine as a child," NSW Health director of health protection Dr Jeremy McNulty said.
A New Zealand ministry of health release today stated there have been 120 confirmed cases of measles since the end of May 2011 reported to authorities in Auckland and 202 confirmed cases in New Zealand since January this year.
"About 90 per cent of confirmed measles cases this year have been in people who were unimmunised or partially immunised against measles," director of public health in New Zealand Dr Mark Jacobs said.
The outbreak has raised questions in New Zealand as to whether measles vaccinations should be compulsory for all children, according to market research company Research NewZealand.
They found nearly a third of New Zealanders believe that immunisation in children should be compulsory.
Last Reviewed: 12 September 2011
- 1. NSW Health. Measles threat to young adults (6 Sep 2011). http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/2011/20110906_00.html (accessed Sep 2011).
2. New Zealand Ministry of Health. Latest information on measles. Measles outbreak - 8 September 2011. http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/immunisation-diseasesandvaccines-measles (accessed Sep 2011).
3. Research New Zealand. Should immunisation against measles be compulsory? (12 Jul 2011). http://www.researchnz.com/press_releases.html#immunisation (accessed Sep 2011).
