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Kingsway College in Red Beach – the first, and so far only, local school with a confirmed case of measles to deal with, this week invited back students who had been quarantined at home for nine school days.
Kingsway’s quarantine began on September 3 when it was confirmed that one of its Year 9 students had measles. Students were allowed back into the college on September 16. The quarantine followed Ministry of Health guidelines, which include keeping anyone who cannot confirm their immunisation status at home during the incubation stage.
Principal Graeme Budler says most students and staff are vaccinated, so only a small number had to stay home.
The school’s registered nurses onsite remained in contact with the Public Health Service as the situation unfolded and parents were kept updated.
Mr Budler says parents and the wider community were very understanding and supportive but there was high demand on health practices as people sought their immunisation records.
Orewa College principal Kate Shevland says at a meeting that took place during the quarantine period, local principals discussed the importance of having up to date data on staff and students’ immune status, so they have accurate information to base decisions on, should more schools have confirmed cases.
As of last week, around 89 of Orewa College’s 1936 students were not vaccinated, while a further 80 had not yet provided evidence or records of vaccination.
“Some of the non-vaccinated students have been getting vaccinated, especially once they are aware of the consequences such as not being able to sit exams or attend school should a case be identified,” Ms Shevland says.
While the Kingsway case is the first at a local school, there are other confirmed cases within the community. The Auckland Regional Public Health Service is not able to provide data for the Coast, but as the paper goes to print there have been 166 notified cases confirmed in the Waitemata District Health Board area (which includes the Hibiscus Coast) out of 1007 cases in Auckland, and 1214 nationwide (since January 1). These figures are still trending upwards.
Although the Hibiscus Coast remains at arm’s length from the main centre of the outbreak, in South Auckland, there is a lot of concern and residents are hyper aware that the country is in the midst of the biggest measles epidemic since the 1990s.
Local health professionals say they have been inundated with requests for information about the outbreak and also have large numbers of patients asking about their immunisation status or seeking copies of their records to prove they have been vaccinated. There are also patients presenting at clinics to be checked, worried that they, or their children, may have measles.
High numbers are also coming in to be vaccinated. While some local medical centres say they have plenty of vaccine available, several others, including Silverdale Medical Centre, say they have experienced shortages. Silverdale Medical Centre executive manager Ranyani Perera says the situation is fluid and constantly changing – currently the practice is focusing vaccination on its own registered, high-risk patients until it is able to obtain more vaccine.
Pharmacist Tania Adams of Unichem Manly says her first contact with measles came early on in the outbreak, when someone visiting the area came into her store.
“At that time, a few months ago, the epidemic was being contained, but then it turned up right on our doorstep,” Ms Adams says. “I had never seen the measles rash before, but I told the woman I thought that was what it was and advised her to seek confirmation from her doctor. Two weeks later she returned and said it was measles.”
“It made me aware it was around, and we followed up and made sure all our staff got booster shots if they needed them. We also put protocols in place so we can contain it.”
Ms Adams says although pharmacists have seen an influx of people with lots of questions about the disease, medical centres are bearing the brunt of the community’s concerns, and that in the last week demand for the vaccine “ramped up into hyperdrive”.
Although pharmacies are not currently offering measles vaccinations, this may happen in future if they are called upon to do so by the District Health Board.
“So far the medical centres are coping, but the pressure is definitely on,” Ms Adams says.
Measles facts: Symptoms of English measles (rubeola): Fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis) and tiny white spots with bluish-white centres found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek; a rash made up of large, flat blotches. • The measles virus is highly contagious, spread through the air by droplets or direct contact with infected people. It usually spreads between un-immunised, or under-immunised people. • Before a measles vaccine was developed, most people caught measles in childhood. Universal vaccination was introduced in 1969 in NZ, although uptake had been low until recent years. The last two major epidemics in NZ occurred in the 1990s with thousands of cases, hundreds of hospitalisations and seven deaths. Source: The Immune Advisory Centre www.immune.org.nz/diseases/measles
