RoboCup Comp: Measles case confirmed among attendees at event

Another confirmed case of measles has added to the growing tally of 456 for this year.

Hundreds of children attending a recent robotics event have been put on high alert after one of the attendees was confirmed as having measles.

Health warnings have been sent to schools and parents of children at the RoboCup event held at St Cuthbert's College, Auckland on August 10.

There have been 456 confirmed cases of the infectious disease so far this year.

The Auckland Regional Public Health Service sent a letter throughout schools and the RoboCup community stating any unimmunised attendees were at risk of contracting the viral infection.

Hundreds of children, staff, and parents were at the event which sees teams, and the robots they have built and trained, compete in robot soccer and robot rescue.

A person at the event was confirmed with measles on August 16.

The current measles outbreak took hold of New Zealand at the start of the year, with cases of the illness rising from a handful in Waikato and Bay of Plenty in January, to about 40 in Canterbury through March.

The disease surfaced in Auckland in late March and has since been worst felt in South Auckland, with over half of all cases recorded in Counties Manukau DHB.

Auckland Regional Public Health Service medicine specialist Dr Maria Poynter said the number of people diagnosed with the illness continues to grow.

Figures show that most cases in Auckland are in children under 5.

Children are supposed to get vaccinations for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) at 15 months and again at 4.

Getting both jabs gives them a 99 per cent chance of lifetime immunity, and even one jab provides 95 per cent immunity.

Anyone concerned they might have exposed to the virus are advised to call Healthline on 0800 611 116.