Doctors are warning low immunisation rates not seen since the 1980s could lead to a widespread outbreak of measles in Aotearoa.
They said the next measles epidemic could be much worse than previous outbreaks if vaccination rates nationwide don’t increase.
General practitioner Dr Bryan Betty said the disease often starts with cold and flu like symptoms, and progresses to an eye infection, fever and rash.
“It can be dangerous and can lead to death in young children, especially those who are not immunised.”
The Public Health Communication Centre warns we’re now closer to a new measles epidemic, with immunisation coverage at its lowest since the 1980s. The number of at-risk children is increasing by around 1000 every month.
Co-author of the briefing by the Public Health Communication Centre, Dr Oz Mansoor, said we have about half a million people in New Zealand susceptible to measles.
“So the potential is to have tens if not hundreds of thousands of people with measles. In 2019 nearly a third of people with measles ended up in hospital.”
The 2019 outbreak killed dozens of people in Samoa, but none in New Zealand, something doctors put down to higher vaccination rates at the time.
Doctors warn this level of protection though is no longer there, with misinformation and disinformation about the side effects of vaccines like MMR putting people off.
“There is still continuing belief that the vaccine causes autism. There is really good evidence it doesn’t and no good evidence it does and yet people still believe this,” Mansoor said.
The Government’s target is for 95% of children to have had all the immunisations they’re eligible for by the age of two.
While coverage got close in 2016 reaching over 93%, as of September 2023 only around 80% of the age group had received all their vaccinations.
“I think it is something parents need to be aware of. Many young people think they’re protected and they’re not. This is something you can easily protect yourself from, it’s free, safe and highly effective,” Mansoor said.