Measles Vaccines

There are now 15 confirmed cases in Fiji with the latest patient a 38-year-old from Nakelo, which is 28km from the capital of Suva.

The Health Ministry's Sunil Chandra said phase one of the campaign saw close to 100,000 people vaccinated.

That included more than 20,000 people in the outbreak area of Serua/Namosi, he said.

As of 28 November, almost 300,000 vaccines and medical supplies have been delivered to reach those populations most at-risk in Samoa, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue, Tokelau and Tuvalu.  

UNICEF is responding to the outbreak together with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners. UNICEF’s response is being conducted with the support of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).

A global resurgence in vaccine-preventable measles has spread to parts of the Pacific Islands over the last month: Samoa has counted more than 1,000 suspected cases, which include the deaths of 14 children. Tonga and Fiji have also declared outbreaks in recent weeks.

“The way it is going now and the poor [immunisation] coverage, we are anticipating the worst to come,” Leausa Take Naseri, Samoa’s director general of health, said at a press conference announcing emergency measures.

Samoa declared a state of emergency on Friday amid a measles epidemic that's claimed the lives of at least six people and infected hundreds more.

The declaration includes a legal requirement for all Samoans to receive their measles vaccination.

The director of New Zealand's Immunisation Advisory Centre, Nikki Turner, said the new measures would not be enough on their own.

People who might have been exposed on those flights should be vigilant for symptoms of the highly infectious disease, said the service's Medical Officer of Health, Maria Poynter.

The passengers were on an Air New Zealand flight NZ959 leaving Apia at 9.40pm on Friday 8 November, and the same flight at the same time on Sunday night.

Dr Poynter said it could take seven to 14 days to start experiencing symptoms and non-vaccinated people were most at risk.