2019–2020 New Zealand measles outbreak

The 2019–2020 New Zealand measles outbreak refers to an ongoing epidemic affecting New Zealand, though primarily in the Auckland region.[9] The outbreak is the worst epidemic in New Zealand since an influenza epidemic in 1999, and the worst measles epidemic since 1938.[10] The Measles outbreak of 1999 was actually predicted two years prior. An "immunization campaign" was intended to vaccinate 90–95% of New Zealand, but ultimately failed as less than 80 percent of New Zealand's population was vaccinated, resulting in the epidemic.[11] Australia have been linked to the New Zealand epidemic. An ongoing outbreak[11] in Perth began in October 2019 after a New Zealander visited while infectious.[12]

New Zealand Measles Epidemic of 2019–2020
Date
  • Christchurch

16 February – 16 May 2019[1]

  • Auckland

28 February 2019 – Present[2]

  • August–present outbreak
1 August 2019 – present[3]
Casualties
Country Cases (conf) Deaths Last update
New Zealand 2193 2*[4]
Australia 74 0[5][6][7]
Fiji 24 0[8]
Total 2,092
(see note 1)		 2*
As of 8 November 2019

The strain of this outbreak is the D8 strain and this epidemic has spread to Samoa killing more than 72 people and Tonga.[13]

The New Zealand Government has been criticised for its response to the epidemic, particularly due to shortages in the supply of vaccines.[14][15] Scientists have also criticised the Ministry of Health for not acting on previous recommendations to conduct national 'catch-up' campaigns with the MMR vaccine prior to the outbreak.[16] Although New Zealand has had a high demand for the MMR Vaccine, resulting in a shortage, there has also been an increase of .5% of people who have declined the vaccine since 2017.[17]

Two unborn fetuses in 2nd trimester have died as a result of the outbreak.[18]

4 cases in Fiji, and 74 cases in Australia are directly or indirectly linked to the outbreak in New Zealand and have being included in the total. To compare, the United States has only had 1249 cases from 1 January 2019 – 1 October 2019 throughout the entire country.[19]

Cases

As of 29 January 2020, there had been 2,193 cases of measles reported throughout New Zealand since 1 January 2019.[4] Auckland had been the worst-hit region, with 1,736 cases alone.[4] The New Zealand Government activated the National Health Coordination Center in August 2019 to respond to the outbreak.[20]

Confirmed cases by District Health Board (27 September 2019)
(Source: Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR)[21])
Region Confirmed
cases		 Number
hospitalised
Northland6011
Waitemata21790
Auckland19878
Counties Manukau864281
Waikato359
Lakes174
Bay of Plenty3716
Tairāwhiti00
Taranaki62
Hawke's Bay31
Whanganui00
MidCentral50
Hutt Valley91
Capital and Coast123
Wairarapa10
Nelson Marlborough00
West Coast00
Canterbury4217
South Canterbury11
Southern342
Total (Nationwide)1,541516
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See also

References
  1. "Canterbury measles outbreak declared officially over" – via TVNZ.
  2. "Measles alert for Auckland not linked to Canterbury outbreak – health officials" – via TVNZ.
  3. "Number of Auckland measles cases reaches new milestone" – via TVNZ.
  4. "2019 measles outbreak information2019/20 measles outbreak information". Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  5. "Three cases of Measles in Australia". 9 news. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  6. "2019 measles outbreak WA Information". WA Health. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  7. "Measles outbreak hits Queensland". 7 news. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  8. "Measles Outbreak declared in Fiji". fijisun. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  9. "2019 measles outbreak information". Ministry of Health NZ. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  10. "A timeline of epidemics in New Zealand" (PDF).
  11. McFarland, Jeffrey W.; Mansoor, Osman David; Yang, Baoping (15 May 2003). "Accelerated Measles Control in the Western Pacific Region". The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 187 (Supplement_1): S246–S251. doi:10.1086/368039. ISSN 0022-1899. PMID 12721921.
  12. Bell, Frances (2 October 2019). "Fears over growing and 'unprecedented' Perth measles outbreak linked to much bigger NZ one". ABC News. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  13. "WHO/UNICEF SECRETARIAT SUPPORTING MEASLES OUTBREAK PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE IN THE PACIFIC" (PDF). WHO. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  14. Fitzgerald, Katie. "Simon Bridges hits out at Government over measles outbreak handling". Newshub. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  15. Laird, Lindy (20 September 2019). "47 measles cases in North, MP says not enough action". Northern Advocate. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  16. Hancock, Farah. "'Shameful' measles outbreak predicted". Stuff. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  17. Patel, Manisha; Lee, Adria D.; Clemmons, Nakia S.; Redd, Susan B.; Poser, Sarah; Blog, Debra; Zucker, Jane R.; Leung, Jessica; Link-Gelles, Ruth; Pham, Huong; Arciuolo, Robert J. (11 October 2019). "National Update on Measles Cases and Outbreaks — United States, January 1 – October 1, 2019". Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 68 (40): 893–896. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6840e2. ISSN 0149-2195. PMC 6788396. PMID 31600181.
  18. "Amid Auckland's measles outbreak, two second-trimester unborn babies die". TVNZ. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  19. Patel, Manisha; Lee, Adria D.; Clemmons, Nakia S.; Redd, Susan B.; Poser, Sarah; Blog, Debra; Zucker, Jane R.; Leung, Jessica; Link-Gelles, Ruth; Pham, Huong; Arciuolo, Robert J. (11 October 2019). "National Update on Measles Cases and Outbreaks — United States, January 1 – October 1, 2019". Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 68 (40): 893–896. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6840e2. ISSN 0149-2195. PMC 6788396. PMID 31600181.
  20. Small, Zane; Lynch, Jenna. "'This is serious': National Health Coordination Centre activated over measles outbreak". Newshub.
  21. Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) (27 September 2019). Measles weekly report, Week 39: 21–27 September 2019 (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 3 October 2019.
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