Measles outbreak a mystery

Health authorities in Christchurch are trying to trace a measles vaccine to find out whether it was faulty after six people who had been immunised caught the disease.

The Canterbury District Health Board has so far identified 15 confirmed and six probable cases of measles. Most occurred in youths aged between 11 to 16-years-old who had had not been vaccinated, although six of the cases had been.

Medical Officer of Health Dr Cheryl Brunton says the situation is a concern and the DHB is working to identify what vaccine the sufferers were given. She says it is possible there was a problem with a particular batch, or that some vaccine was not handled properly.

Dr Brunton is urging Canterbury parents with young babies to get themselves immunised against measles as the illness is highly contagious. Young babies are a particular concern because they cannot have their first vaccination until they are 15 months old and if they are exposed to measles they are at risk of complications. Dr Brunton says the best protection is for people around them to be immunised.

The three-in-one measles, mumps and rubella vaccination is 95 percent effective in giving lifelong immunity.

- Newstalk ZB