New Zealanders are being urged to make sure they're up to date with their measles jabs.
As school holidays get underway, travellers are being reminded of outbreaks in Australia, the US, Canada, the UK and Vietnam.
There are no cases in New Zealand currently.
Health NZ’s acting national public health service clinical director protection, Dr Matthew Reid, says there's a risk of measles spreading quickly through New Zealand if Kiwis bring it back home.
"Because our vaccination coverage is not as good as it should be, measles could then spread quite easily."
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks AB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
As we enter the school holidays, those who are traveling
are being warned of the high risk of measles. Cases
of measles arising rapidly overseas, with substantial outbreaks and popular
destinations like Vietnam, Thailand and India. So far this year,
the United States has has had more than six hundred
knowing cases and Canada has had eight hundred. Australia has
recorded fifty four measles cases in just over three months,
(00:35):
compared to fifty seven for all of last year. The
pattern in Australia could indicate a high risk that New
Zealand could soon have cases house. New Zealand's acting National
Public Health Service Clinical Director of Protection is doctor Matthew
Read and he joins me now, good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Matthew Killer, Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Do we have any knowing cases here in New Zealand currently.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
No, we don't have any cases of measles at this
time that we know of, thankfully, good to hear.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Why do we need to be concerned though about me
making its way to New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Well, we're just consumed because as you said, those destinations
where people could be going are having recently substantial outdoaks,
and we're most worried about people being overseas and then
coming back here and getting muss their way, and then
(01:32):
because of our vaccamation covers not as good as it
should be, that neagles then could spread quite easily.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
As kids do not have their childhood vaccinations, are they
all good to be able to go and get it
at any time?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yes, anybody under eighteen can get a measles vacamation whenever
they like. Anybody over eighteen who's eligible for healthcare in
New Zealand can also get one, so kids can easily.
They normally get a bit twelve months and fifteen months,
but anytime we we can do catch up.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
And if you're thinking, you know, if you're thinking about
a measles adult booster, who should be thinking about potentially
getting one of those.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Well, generally reconsider anybody born before nineteen sixty nine as
immune because that's when measles was regularly circulating in New Zealand.
But people born between nineteen sixty nine and two thousand
and four, as an adult, they may have only gotten
one vaccination, so they can check with their GP and
(02:45):
the best thing really is to get hit another MMR
measles vaccimation and it's quite safe even if you've already
had two, but you're not sure to get to get
a further one. Safe and effective and being the mark
xmation is really very effective because over ninety five percent
(03:06):
protection against needles.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Matthew, if you're going away in a week, is it
too late? How long does it take for the vaccine
to be effective.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, it does take a couple of weeks to be
fully effective, So we think if you're getting it now,
they've just protect you perhaps later on your or fully
particul later on in your nutrients. So the sooner the better, Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And if people are traveling, what kind of symptoms should
they be aware of that you can get from measles?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Yeah, So the things to watch out for particularly well,
it starts relatively non specific fever, can be quite a
high fever and cough. Then you can get red, sore eyes, conjunctivits,
(04:01):
and then of course, but later you get the rash.
The problem with methals is those official symptoms can occur
before the rash, and that can be people can be
infectious that at that time when they've only got those
non specific symptoms. So that's particularly why it's worrying for
(04:23):
people coming back from oot of these they might be
able to spread measles before they even have.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
The habit And are the symptoms at all different in.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Children, No, they're the same like adults and children. But
I guess children and people with a weakened immune system
and pregnant people that can affect them with more worse
and the kinds of things that it can lead to
(04:53):
our nasty or infection diarrhea, lung infections like pneumonia, and
sometimes things I can in kepholytis of swimming at the rain,
and of course it can kills killed three people in
the US the CFO, particularly worrying.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Doctor Matthew Reid, appreciate you talking us through that this morning.
Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it B from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News Talks AB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
As we enter the school holidays, those who are traveling
are being warned of the high risk of measles. Cases
of measles arising rapidly overseas, with substantial outbreaks and popular
destinations like Vietnam, Thailand and India. So far this year,
the United States has has had more than six hundred
knowing cases and Canada has had eight hundred. Australia has
recorded fifty four measles cases in just over three months,
(00:35):
compared to fifty seven for all of last year. The
pattern in Australia could indicate a high risk that New
Zealand could soon have cases house. New Zealand's acting National
Public Health Service Clinical Director of Protection is doctor Matthew
Read and he joins me now, good morning.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Matthew Killer, Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Do we have any knowing cases here in New Zealand currently.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
No, we don't have any cases of measles at this
time that we know of, thankfully, good to hear.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Why do we need to be concerned though about me
making its way to New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Well, we're just consumed because as you said, those destinations
where people could be going are having recently substantial outdoaks,
and we're most worried about people being overseas and then
coming back here and getting muss their way, and then
(01:32):
because of our vaccamation covers not as good as it
should be, that neagles then could spread quite easily.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
As kids do not have their childhood vaccinations, are they
all good to be able to go and get it
at any time?
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yes, anybody under eighteen can get a measles vacamation whenever
they like. Anybody over eighteen who's eligible for healthcare in
New Zealand can also get one, so kids can easily.
They normally get a bit twelve months and fifteen months,
but anytime we we can do catch up.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
And if you're thinking, you know, if you're thinking about
a measles adult booster, who should be thinking about potentially
getting one of those.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Well, generally reconsider anybody born before nineteen sixty nine as
immune because that's when measles was regularly circulating in New Zealand.
But people born between nineteen sixty nine and two thousand
and four, as an adult, they may have only gotten
one vaccination, so they can check with their GP and
(02:45):
the best thing really is to get hit another MMR
measles vaccimation and it's quite safe even if you've already
had two, but you're not sure to get to get
a further one. Safe and effective and being the mark
xmation is really very effective because over ninety five percent
(03:06):
protection against needles.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Matthew, if you're going away in a week, is it
too late? How long does it take for the vaccine
to be effective.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Yeah, it does take a couple of weeks to be
fully effective, So we think if you're getting it now,
they've just protect you perhaps later on your or fully
particul later on in your nutrients. So the sooner the better, Okay.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And if people are traveling, what kind of symptoms should
they be aware of that you can get from measles?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Yeah, So the things to watch out for particularly well,
it starts relatively non specific fever, can be quite a
high fever and cough. Then you can get red, sore eyes, conjunctivits,
(04:01):
and then of course, but later you get the rash.
The problem with methals is those official symptoms can occur
before the rash, and that can be people can be
infectious that at that time when they've only got those
non specific symptoms. So that's particularly why it's worrying for
(04:23):
people coming back from oot of these they might be
able to spread measles before they even have.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
The habit And are the symptoms at all different in.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Children, No, they're the same like adults and children. But
I guess children and people with a weakened immune system
and pregnant people that can affect them with more worse
and the kinds of things that it can lead to
(04:53):
our nasty or infection diarrhea, lung infections like pneumonia, and
sometimes things I can in kepholytis of swimming at the rain,
and of course it can kills killed three people in
the US the CFO, particularly worrying.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Doctor Matthew Reid, appreciate you talking us through that this morning.
Thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it B from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.