NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Budget 2025
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

'Basically he's on home detention': Toddler flown back to Samoa without measles vaccine

RNZ
3 Dec, 2019 07:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A live coldchain vaccine delivery of MMR in Samoa. Photo / RNZ
A live coldchain vaccine delivery of MMR in Samoa. Photo / RNZ

A live coldchain vaccine delivery of MMR in Samoa. Photo / RNZ

By RNZ

A Samoan toddler has been flown back to Apia without being immunised because doctors in Auckland wouldn't give him the necessary jab.

The 15-month-old boy had been visiting New Zealand with his family, and stayed on with his godparents because his mum and dad did not want him returning to Samoa amid the measles outbreak.

But today he flew back with his godfather, Mark Wendt, who says an Auckland clinic refused to immunise the young boy because he didn't have a New Zealand passport.

Wendt said they were worried for the toddler's safety back in Samoa, where 55 people had died from measles - most of them children.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Today he was flying to Apia with his wife and 9-year-old daughter, as well as the 15-month-old boy.

Read more:
Measles death toll climbs to 55 in Samoa
'Unfortunately the Lord called him': Toddler's measles death
Otago Daily Times apologises over Samoa measles cartoon

"My daughter's up-to-date [with her immunisations], my godson couldn't have his because he was younger than 15 months when he came over - we wanted to get him immunised here and we tried but we couldn't."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Wendt said the Auckland medical clinic they took the boy to turned him down because he was a Samoan citizen, despite copies of his medical records being available.

He was disappointed in the doctor who turned down their immunisation request, and said while he understood precautions were taken around not immunising a child that wasn't theirs, he felt more could've been done.

"He's right well within the age bracket of those who are dying at the moment - basically he's on home detention when he gets back.

"We've already instructed all of our family to clean up the car when we get back, we'll get him straight into the car and straight home and that's where he'll be until this all blows over."

Discover more

World

Samoa Govt to shut down this week for measles vaccination campaign

02 Dec 04:45 AM
World

Samoa measles epidemic: Three children in one family killed

02 Dec 06:54 AM
World

'Unfortunately the Lord called him': Toddler's measles death in Samoa

02 Dec 10:42 PM
New Zealand

Measles death toll climbs to 55 as two children die overnight

03 Dec 12:11 AM

Director General of Health Ashlee Bloomfield said children under 18 were eligible for publicly-funded immunisations, regardless of citizenship or immigration status in New Zealand.

Bloomfield said it was possible some medical clinics weren't aware the immunisations were available to eligible visitors to New Zealand, and the Ministry would be reiterating that message.

"We will make sure we do a follow-up on that."

He said anyone flying to Samoa with children should consider delaying their travel.

"My strong advice would be, at this point in time, if you can, defer any travel to Samoa until this measles outbreak there is under control."

"There's quite clearly a very large outbreak, the last thing we want to do is add to the problem in Samoa, and of course we're also seeing the odd case now coming back into New Zealand from Samoa."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said while being immunised significantly reduced the risk of contracting measles, in communities with a high prevalence of the illness, even fully vaccinated people could still get sick.

Bloomfield said New Zealand's first measles cases had been imported from the Philippines, and it was likely New Zealand had passed it on to Samoa.

He said American Samoa and Tokelau required people to show proof of vaccination against measles to be allowed to enter the country, and people should consult the Safe Travel website for the latest information for other countries.

-RNZ

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'Can't stop our motion': Run It Straight CEO on cancelled events

23 May 08:25 AM
New Zealand

'No other persons sought': Homicide probe continues over 77yo man's death

23 May 08:00 AM
New Zealand

Cook Islands declares dengue fever outbreak, seven cases confirmed

23 May 07:37 AM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Syos wins company of the year crown, Beck named Flying Kiwi
Business

Syos wins company of the year crown, Beck named Flying Kiwi

23 May 11:00 AM
Hurricanes v Reds: 'Canes eye top four
Super Rugby

Hurricanes v Reds: 'Canes eye top four

23 May 09:25 AM
How two rugby stars are reshaping the women's game
Rugby

How two rugby stars are reshaping the women's game

23 May 08:37 AM
'Can't stop our motion': Run It Straight CEO on cancelled events
New Zealand

'Can't stop our motion': Run It Straight CEO on cancelled events

23 May 08:25 AM
'No other persons sought': Homicide probe continues over 77yo man's death
New Zealand

'No other persons sought': Homicide probe continues over 77yo man's death

23 May 08:00 AM

Latest from New Zealand

'Can't stop our motion': Run It Straight CEO on cancelled events

'Can't stop our motion': Run It Straight CEO on cancelled events

23 May 08:25 AM

The group gave away $3000 in gift cards, sponsor T-shirts, and $1000 cash.

'No other persons sought': Homicide probe continues over 77yo man's death

'No other persons sought': Homicide probe continues over 77yo man's death

23 May 08:00 AM
Cook Islands declares dengue fever outbreak, seven cases confirmed

Cook Islands declares dengue fever outbreak, seven cases confirmed

23 May 07:37 AM
Former top cop 'strongly denies' acting inappropriately over firearms licences

Former top cop 'strongly denies' acting inappropriately over firearms licences

23 May 07:23 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search