Northland-based nurse Tafale Maddren in Samoa escapes worst of measles outbreak

Whangārei nurse Tafale Maddren made sure everyone in the village in Samoa was vaccinated against measles. Photo/John Stone

One of the first things Tafale Maddren made sure when she visited her family in Samoa was to ensure the whole village was vaccinated against measles.

The Whangārei nurse offered her services at the local hospital but said the local and Red Cross medical personnel ensured the best care possible on the island where 80 people have died from the disease.

As of yesterday, there were 5600 confirmed cases since an outbreak began in September.

Maddren, a clinical nurse specialist at the Whangārei Hospital, returned from Samoa two weeks ago after visiting her sick brother and said the island has learnt a "hard lesson".

When she flew out, 35 people had already died from measles but Maddren said luckily her village in the Falealili district was free of the disease so she didn't see the worst.

"I made sure everyone in my family and the village were vaccinated. Community health nurses visited the village and we told them everyone was vaccinated.

"There are barriers like no transport and cost of vaccinating people. Traditionally, Samoa had village committees that worked with public health nurses but that's no longer done," she said.

In 2009, Maddren was part of a medical team of 30 Samoans from New Zealand sent to Samoa after tsunami ravaged the small island nation.

On her recent trip, nurses at the local hospital recognised her when she took her sick brother for treatment.

"None in my village had measles so the impact wasn't felt as badly. The difference was kids who were not allowed to go to public places so you wouldn't find them in public places, at church services, the schools closed early or around mid-November, and no prizegivings.

"During the two-day lockdown, things were very eerie but people were quite accepting because by then the death toll has risen to 70."