EIT students taking part in orientation activities this week will also be offered on-the-spot Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) immunisations to help with the nation’s catch-up campaign.
Hawke’s Bay DHB Medical Officer of Health, Dr Rachel Eyre says the measles catch-up campaign continues to be rolled out across Hawke’s Bay following a 2019 measles outbreak in New Zealand which identified young people aged between 15 and 30 may not have been immunised for measles.
“Measles is a serious and highly infectious disease that affects both children and adults and can be life threatening.
“The 2019 measles outbreak in New Zealand saw more than 2000 people get sick and more than 700 requiring hospital care. What that outbreak revealed is that many people born between 1990 and 2005 were not fully protected because a higher number than usual did not have their scheduled MMR immunisations.
“Getting immunised is the best way to protect you, your whānau and community from catching and spreading measles.”
Dr Eyre said young people could get their FREE catch-up immunisations from General Practices and participating pharmacies across Hawke’s Bay. The DHB was also rolling out measles catch-up immunisations in schools, marae, community centres and other locations to help make the vaccine easily accessible for everyone.
“Our teams want to make the vaccine easily accessible and available to everyone so for example being at EIT’s orientation days are a great opportunity to not only get this important message out, but obviously protect people from measles who may not have had the vaccine.
“A great example of this was the Waitangi Day celebrations at Mitre 10 Park Hawke’s Bay where our team managed to give the vaccine to more than 18 people who had not been immunised,” she said.
Dr Eyre said people who had been immunised for measles, or were unable to find their records, were safe to have an extra dose as there were no additional safety concerns.
Find out more about the measles catch-up campaign here: www.protectagainstmeasles.org.nz
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