Protection from measles for more young people
(The following was released by the Ministry of Health.)

Young people aged 13 to 20 years are being urged to get vaccinated against measles if they currently have no protection against the disease.

The prompt comes as general practices move into a new phase of activity aimed at staving off a potential measles epidemic. Next week they will begin actively contacting all unimmunised patients in this age group and offering them free vaccination.

Immunisation is free and is the best way to prevent the disease. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are needed to gain the best protection. Once fully immunised, 90 to 95 percent of people are protected from measles.

For several months, general practices have been working to improve measles immunisation rates, following a sharp increase in measles cases in some parts of the country.  So far this year there have been more than 220 notified cases of measles, more than 18 times the number reported for all of 2008.

Since early August, health professionals have been contacting and immunising children aged 12 months to 12 years who have not received their first dose of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The MMR vaccine is routinely given at 15 months and four years of age.

Where possible, patients under the age of 40, who have no record of having had MMR or measles, have also been vaccinated.

Now the focus is broadening to include older children and young people.

Chief Advisor Child and Youth Health, Dr Pat Tuohy, says there is more than a 90 percent chance that an unimmunised person will catch measles if they come into contact with someone who is infected. Around one in 1000 people who get measles will die from the disease.

With end-of-year exams fast-approaching, getting immunised can ensure that students don’t have to take time off study and lectures because they have caught or been exposed to someone with measles.

“Parents have been warned that unimmunised children, or those with no proven immunity to the disease, will be excluded from school for two weeks if a child in their class gets measles.  This is because measles is highly infectious and can have serious complications.  While by law we can’t exclude unimmunised tertiary students who come into contact with measles, we will be asking them to stay home to stop this disease from spreading.”

New Zealand has one of the lowest immunisation rates in the OECD. About 83 percent of children are fully immunised at the age of two, but to be effective, the rate needs to be 95 percent.

For more information talk to your 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