13 Aug 2009

Vaccine awareness rises amid measles outbreak

11:42 am on 13 August 2009

The Immunisation Advisory Centre says the outbreak of measles in various parts of the country has led to an increase in people seeking the vaccine or checking they are vaccinated.

The Ministry of Health has bought extra doses of the MMR vaccine after outbreaks in Otago, Canterbury and Auckland.

Immunisation Advisory Centre director Dr Nikki Turner says healthcare providers and the centre's telephone service have noticed an increased awareness of how important the vaccine is to help stop the spread of measles.

Latest figures show 193 people have contracted measles so far this year, more than ten times the number infected in the whole of 2008.