Measles
The Ministry of Health is advising the public and health professionals to watch out for the symptoms of measles in light of the continuing outbreak in the greater Auckland region, and cases elsewhere in the country. Over 600 measles cases have been reported since the start of 2011 and more than 100 people have needed hospital treatment.
Summary
View a comprehensive list of Frequently asked questions about measles.
Find the latest information on the measles situation. (This includes weekly updates, case numbers, primary care information, and information for the education sector.)
- Measles is highly contagious – and easily preventable.
- It affects both children and adults.
- Two doses of measles vaccine is all you need to protect yourself.
Now is a good time to check with your doctor whether you and your family have been fully immunised against measles.
There was a major measles epidemic in New Zealand in 1997, when 2000 people were infected – mostly babies and children. Over 300 of them needed hospital care.
In a 1991 epidemic, there were 600 hospitalisations and seven deaths.
How is measles spread?
Measles is a highly infectious virus that spreads easily from person to person through the air, via breathing, coughing and sneezing.
If you have measles, you’re contagious from just before symptoms begin to around four days after the rash appears.
Measles complications
Measles can be life threatening: about one in 10 people with measles will need hospital treatment.
Measles can also lead to other complications, including:
- ear infections (which can cause permanent hearing loss)
- diarrhoea
- pneumonia
- seizures
- encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) – this is rare, but can cause permanent brain damage or death.
Up to 30 percent of people with measles will develop complications – usually children under five and adults over the age of 20.
Measles during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, premature labour and low birth-weight babies.
Symptoms
The illness usually starts 10–12 days after you’ve been exposed. If you have measles, you’ll get:
- a fever
- a runny nose
- sore and watery ‘pink eyes'
- sometimes small white spots on the back inner cheek of your mouth.
A rash usually starts on the third to seventh day of the illness. This tends to start on the face, behind the ears, before moving over the head and down the body. The rash lasts for up to a week.
Warning: Some of these photos are quite graphic.
Pictures courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Click on the pictures to enlarge them.
What to do if you or a family member has symptoms
If you detect any of these symptoms, see your family doctor or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for advice.
It’s important to call before visiting your doctor because measles is easily passed on from one person to another. Phoning ahead helps ensure steps are taken to avoid you spreading measles in the waiting room.
You should also stay away from work, school or public places, to help prevent putting other people at risk. This also applies if you or a family member aren’t fully immunised and may have been in contact with someone with measles.
Prevention
Measles isn’t easy to treat. The best way to protect yourself and your family against measles is immunisation.
Measles is covered by the New Zealand Immunisation Schedule. The vaccine used is the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine (M-M-R® II).
Get up to date with your immunisations
It’s never too late to get up to date with your immunisations. By getting immunised, you will not only be protecting yourself and your family – you’ll also stop the disease spreading in your community.
- Young children are usually vaccinated at 15 months and four years of age.
- Two doses are necessary to give the best protection.
- The measles vaccine can sometimes be given from 12 months of age (eg, during a measles outbreak).
- Immunisation is also very important for older children and adults.
If you or your children haven’t been fully immunised, you can protect yourselves by getting vaccinated.
- All NZ residents born from 1 January 1969 who haven’t had two doses of measles vaccine in the past are eligible for free measles vaccinations.
- If you’re born from 1 January 1969 and aren’t sure whether you’ve been vaccinated, check with your family doctor or practice nurse.
- If you were born before 1969, it’s likely that you’ve been exposed already – you’re considered to be immune.
For more information about the vaccine, read the HealthEd resource Childhood Immunisation.
Who shouldn’t have the vaccine?
You shouldn’t get immunised if you:
- are pregnant
- have a severe allergy or immunosuppressive condition.
If you think you have been exposed to measles and are unable to have the vaccine, ask your doctor for advice.
In this section
- Frequently asked questions on measles, including what to do if you suspect you or a family member has measles and information on the MMR vaccine. Read more
Page last updated: 08 May 2012
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