Measles: Northland case hospitalised, at least 50 people get vaccine in one day

Northlanders are heeding a call to action over measles, with 50 people getting vaccinated against the disease on Monday alone.

One case of the highly infectious disease was confirmed on Friday in the Bay of Islands and three historic cases were identified on Saturday, linked to travel to Asia.

The Northern Advocate understands a current case needed to be hospitalised.

People in the Bay of Islands community should monitor for symptoms because there was possibly undetected measles in the community since early September, said Dr Susan Jack from the National Public Health Service.

Measles symptoms include an illness that begins with high fever (over 38C), cough, runny nose and sore red eyes, plus a rash that begins on the face and gradually spreads.

Jack said the best form of protection against measles is getting immunised with two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine after the age of 12 months. 

A large number of healthcare providers are offering vaccination clinics to help people get the protection needed.

Ngāti Hine Health Trust chief executive Tamati Shepherd-Wipiiti said Northland has historically low vaccination rates, with only about 60% of the population vaccinated against the disease.

This is lower than the 95% needed to stop its spread, according to Health NZ.

Shepherd-Wipiiti said the areas with the lowest immunity are children under 5, youth aged 19 to 25 and people who don’t realise they need two shots of the vaccine to be most effective.

Bay of Islands Hospital in Kawakawa is a location of interest in the Northland measles case. Photo / NZME

Ngāti Hine Health Trust has been running vaccination clinics in its Whangārei practice, at Bay of Islands Hospital, plus its clinics at Kawakawa and Moerewa. Between them, about 50 people were vaccinated on Monday, he said.

Harder-to-reach communities in Northland will be targeted later in the week, with clinics in marae, rural areas and possibly schools, he said,

But Shepherd-Wipiiti said there are still a lot of older people who do not realise they need to be vaccinated, and a lot of vaccine hesitancy.

“I walked the streets of Whangārei on Saturday ... I ended up having conversations with people, some of whom are homeless, just to calm them down about the misinformation on the market.”

Vaccinations are also being offered by pharmacies, while Kaikohe Broadway Health will have an outreach vaccination clinic on Monday, including free food and prize draws.

Locations of interest for measles includes Bay of Islands Hospital from 11.30pm Friday, September 19, to 2.30am Saturday, September 20, and from 1.45pm to 7pm on September 20. Anyone who used the main entrance of the hospital is advised to monitor for measles symptoms until October 11.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.