September 15, 2019
Measles immunisation best defence for others
As the measles outbreak continues to grow, a south Auckland GP is urging people to get vaccinated for the sake not just of themselves but for those around them.
Dr Inia Tomash says already this year more than 900 people in Auckland have got the virus, most of them in the Counties Manukau District Health Board area and the majority Māori or Pacific.
It's extremely infectious, and people who are not immunised stand a very high chance of getting it if they come into contact.
"Even if you enter a room where someone has had measles within 30 minutes to two hours after there’s a chance you can catch measles. It’s a 10-day illness at least and you’ll be waylaid for that long so it’s very important to have your vaccinations done. We can’t really immunise babies under one so they are at risk so is people around them and whānau around them are unimmunised so it is important to get immunised," Dr Tomash says.
Symptoms include a runny nose, cough, sore red eyes and high fever, and people with those symptoms should stay at home and call their doctor or the healthline on 0800 611116.
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