Simeon Brown: Health Minister comments on Measles outbreak as number of cases rises

Health Minister receiving advice on allowing babies to receive measles vaccine as the outbreak spreads.

New Zealand has two new Auckland cases bringing the total to 13. 

A national immunisation week starts on Monday - to help bring it in under control. 

Minister Simeon Brown told Francesca Rudkin there is the potential that if children are immunised earlier than 12 months, their longer term immunity wouldn't be as good.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, so the latest outbreak of measles could pose a
risk as it spreads undetected. There were two more cases
confirmed yesterday, bringing the toll the total to thirteen. Alongside that,
there are over two thousand close contacts who've already been identified.
Sammy and Brown is the Health Minister, and here's with
me now. Thank you so much for your time this morning, minister.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Good morning, good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
How much does this worry you?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Look, I think this is very concerning. We have a
significant amount of effort being put in by the National
Public Health Service to stamp it out. There's a lot
of work being done to contact trace every case. But
the real key message is that vaccination is our best
protection against further spread of measles, and to encourage everyone

(00:44):
to check their records and get immunized if you're not already.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
We have this immunity gap of the four to twelve
month year olds. The mums are hearing this. They want
to do the right thing, They want to immunize their children,
and we obviously have cases spreading in the community. Should
we be allowed these parents to use the zero dose.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, so that's a question which I've raised with the
National Public Health Service. It's something which they have said
they are keeping watching brief on in terms of the
the analysis. Ultimately, the advice or the early advice I've
received is that that is an option which can be

(01:25):
will be considered. But there's also a potential downside in
that as children are immunized earlier than one year, then
potentially their longer term immunity isn't as good or effectively
the effectiveness of the vaccine isn't as good over the
longer term. So there are some things that they need
to be considered. But that's certainly the conversation that we've
had at this stage. I've got I've got a two

(01:48):
month old myself, so I fully appreciate the concerns of
parents and understand exactly how they're feeling.

Speaker 1 (01:57):
I have a feeling that, you know, the parents who
are interested in getting their child VACCINATA between four months
and twelve months are going to be the parents who
will come back and do the further two immunizations, you
know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (02:08):
No, look at absolutely one hundred percent agree and so
that is a piece of work which the National Public
Health Service will do. But ultimately this stage very much
focused on stamping this outbreak out and making sure that
we get on top of it.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
In twenty nineteen, we had seven hundred people hospitalized when
we had the measles outbreak. Are we prepared for that
all potentially more?

Speaker 2 (02:34):
Look, I think there is a plan in place. Ultimately,
we want to avoid what happened back in twenty nineteen,
and that's why we are very focused to stamp it out.
Our hospitals are always under significant pressure regardless of this outbreak,
so ultimately that will put additional pressure on our hospitals.

(02:56):
But that's why the key message is to you know,
check your immunization status, get immunized and you know, and
the work that the National Prodict Health Service is doing
to contact, trace every case to get on top of
this as quickly as possible is critical work and we're
very appreciaive of the work that they're doing.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
We've see plankets just open twenty vaccine sites around the country,
which is great. Is there going to be a more
general roll out from Health New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Yes, Look, there's there are a lot of vaccination opportunities
and Health New Zealand is shortly going to be running
a National Immunization Week to promote immunization and Immunization promotion
campaign is already underway and we've asked Health New Zealand
to step that up. But there is plenty of opportunities

(03:44):
for people to be vaccinated and the purpose of running
that Immunization Week will be to focus on all of
those opportunities and to raise awareness with the public of
what those opportunities are. So what Plunket's doing is excellent.
Pharmacies are always open, have huge opportunities through pharmacies, your

(04:04):
general practitioner. There are many opportunities for people to be
vaccinated and what we want to do is to highlight
all of those opportunities so people know how easy it
is that they can get themselves and their loved ones vaccinated.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
Thanks so much for your time this morning. Simon really
appreciated that. Was a health minister. Same and Brown for
more from earlier edition with Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
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