Measles outbreaks
There has been a rapid rise in the number of measles cases reported around the country, with the number of notified cases so far this year already seven times higher than the total number of cases last year. There have been more than 100 cases in Canterbury, including 11 who have been hospitalised. The number of cases in Auckland is growing, and there are isolated cases in other regions.
Measles is a highly infectious notifiable disease with serious complications. Case fatalities are around one per 1000. It is important to stop the spread of measles by keeping infected children at home. Immunisation is free, and is the best way to prevent measles. Doctors have begun recalling unimmunised patients to increase immunisation coverage.
What the education sector can do
-
Inform staff of the measles outbreaks. Let them know measles is a serious, notifiable disease.
-
Update immunisation registers. These must be maintained under the Health (Immunisation) Regulations 1995. This allows unimmunised close contacts to be quickly identified and isolated and reduces the risk of further spread.
-
Send a newsletter to parents and caregivers asking them to check that immunisations are up-to-date. The Ministry of Health requires students who have no proven immunity to measles (through immunisation or previous exposure) to be sent home if there is a measles outbreak in their class. Immunisation is free. Once immunised, 90 to 95 per cent of people are protected from measles.
What to do if measles occurs in early childhood education centres (ECE) and schools
Once a notification of measles is received by the local public health service, the early childhood centre or school the child attends will be contacted urgently by public health staff who will provide information and advice to the manager or principal.
Under the Health (Infectious and Notifiable Diseases) Regulations 1966 (Section 14), a student or teacher with measles must stay away from school for seven days from the appearance of the rash. Unimmunised students, or those with no immunity to measles, who have been close contacts of a measles case during the infectious stages will be excluded from school for 14 days from their last contact. This exclusion also applies to students taking part in sporting events.
You can get more information on measles and controlling infectious diseases from http://www.moh.govt.nz/immunisation [2] http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/1966/0087/latest/DLM24238.html [3]
You can also call the Immunisation Advisory Centre toll-free line 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863) or going to the IMAC website http://www.immune.org.nz [4]
If you would like to discuss these issues, please contact the local public health service. http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/contact-us-public-health-services [5]
Dr Pat Tuohy
Chief Advisor, Child and Youth
Ministry of Health