Five new cases of measles have been confirmed by the Ministry of Health today.
The total number of cases since October 8 is now 27 – 22 of which are no longer infectious.
One of the five new cases iwas a person in Dunedin. Three were in Auckland, and one was in Waikato.
The Ministry of Health called the increase in cases “concerning” and demonstrated the highly contagious nature of measles.
“As we head into the summer season, we are especially encouraging people to check their immunisation status and get their MMR vaccination if required.”
If travelling overseas, the ministry recommended vaccination anyone not already immune, with the last dose given at least two weeks before travelling to give the vaccine enough time to start building immunity.
The ministry encouraged people to check the locations of interest on its website, and follow the instructions if they were in close or casual contact, and monitor for symptoms of measles.
People who developed symptoms should contact Healthline or their usual healthcare provider.
“We expect there could be more cases. The National Public Health Service continues to investigate potential cases and will continue to update locations of interest as they are known.
“Our goal is to stamp out measles as cases are notified, and contact tracing is an important element of this approach.”
