The preventable Measles outbreak

Stuff reports:

For years scientists have been predicting the measles outbreak which has infected 1541 New Zealanders. Their requests for a catch-up campaign to plug immunisation gaps have been ignored. 

Measles cases are rising daily and 118 babies have been admitted to hospital this year. So far none have died, but it’s believed some have come very close.

Terrible trauma for the families involved.

There’s also a vaccine shortage. Children are being immunised but others are being turned away. Two additional batches of vaccine have been ordered to cope with demand. One batch is weeks away from arriving, the second is months away.

Just like meningitis outbreak also!

New Zealand has now had more cases of measles this year than the United States. Along with the United Kingdom and Australia, the US has warned citizens planning to travel to New Zealand of the risk.

Unbelievable that we have had more than the US, but it is true. They have had 1,243 only. And they seem to be declining in number now.

She said it would be a “miracle” if New Zealand did not lose its status of having eliminated measles. 
“It’s a reputational impact. New Zealand had said to the world we can control measles and now we’ve shown we can’t.”
To achieve what’s referred to as herd immunity – where enough of the population is immune to stop it being passed to those who are too young to be immunised or are immunocompromised – around 95 per cent of people need to be vaccinated. 

And vaccination rates are falling, after years of increasing.