Local Focus: Vaccinations available while you party

A music festival is an unusual place to get a measles vaccination but Whanganui DHB is going anywhere there are young people to give them the chance to immunise themselves.

So last weekend's Sound Valley music festival was a great opportunity, with musicians and audience keen to get it done.

"We were just basically offering a pop-up clinic," immunisation coordinator Bruce Jones said.

"Anybody that was 15 to 30, if they had legs, a head and arms we would offer them and we would get them over and we would vaccinate them if they wanted to."

There'll soon be more pop-up clinics around the region:
• March 20 at the family fun day this Saturday, at Springvale Stadium
• March 26 for a Fono at Tawhero Born and Raised from 5pm to 8pm
• March 28 at the Marton Harvest Festival

We're just going to any event anywhere," Jones said. "If you've got an event where 15 to 30-year-olds are, let us know."

The immunisation team will also be talking to sports clubs about coordinating with them to get as many young people vaccinated as they can.

"This age group is really tricky and they're all over the place, so we are just doing our best to try to catch up with them."

For anyone who isn't sure if they have had a measles vaccination, the team can access the immunisation register.

"If there is no record of you having it, it's better just to get another one, get it on your record, and then you'll know, kei te pai."

Jones said by getting the vaccine you will protect the people around you, and that contrary to some beliefs, a fit and healthy lifestyle doesn't protect people from measles.

"Measles is still really serious and that's what we saw in Samoa when all those people died."

High fevers from measles can lead to brain injuries and there are other damaging side effects which can impact a person's life.

He said one shot will immunise a person to 95 per cent, and a second to 99 per cent. The vaccinations are free to people aged 15 to 30 years old.

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