National MMR vaccination advice (except the Auckland region)
The Ministry of Health has modified the standard MMR vaccination catch-up advice.
Infants aged under 15 months
- Recommended to receive their MMR vaccination at 15 months of age as per the Immunisation Schedule.
Children aged between 15 months and 4 years
- Recommended to receive their MMR vaccinations at 15 months and 4 years as per the Immunisation Schedule.
Children aged 5 years or older, teenagers and adults aged under 50 years (i.e. born in 1969 or later)
- Recommended to receive one catch-up MMR vaccination. After one MMR vaccination 90–95 people in 100 are protected from measles.
- Recommended to receive the second MMR catch-up dose once MMR vaccine demand returns to normal (and a minimum of 4 weeks after the first MMR dose).
Adults aged 50 years or older (born in New Zealand before 1969)
- Not recommended to receive MMR vaccination. They are considered to be immune to measles as there was no measles containing vaccine until 1969 and the disease is so highly infectious.
- Adults born overseas prior to 1969 may have received a measles-containing vaccination. If you are unsure whether an individual is likely to be susceptible to measles, please call us on 0800 IMMUNE (0800 466 863).
Advice for the Auckland region
(Auckland, Counties Manukau and Waitemata)
Vaccination advice
Children aged 12–15 months
- Pre-call children from 12 months of age to receive all four 15 month vaccinations (MMR, varicella, Hib and PCV10).
Children aged 16 months to under 5 years
- Recall children from 16 months to under 5 years of age who do not have one documented dose of MMR vaccine.
- Administer the second MMR vaccination at 4 years of age as per the Immunisation Schedule.
Children from 5 years of age, adolescents and adults aged under 50 years
- Opportunistically offer one catch-up MMR vaccination to anyone aged 5 years to under 50 years who does not have a documented dose of measles-containing vaccine (administered when 12 months of age or older).
Primary care resource
-
Please download the
Measles whānau pack from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service measles webpage and print copies of the fact sheets to use if your practice sees a person suspected of having measles or a person with confirmed measles.
Regional public health unit measles update webpages
Auckland Regional Public Health (Auckland, Counties Manukau and Waitemata)
Hutt Valley Regional Public Health (Hutt Valley and Wellington)
Northland District Health Board (Northland)
Toi Te Ora Public Health (Bay of Plenty and Lakes)
Advice for front line health care staff born on/after 1 January 1969
- PLEASE check your measles immunisation status.
- If you do not have any documented measles-containing vaccine doses it is important to obtain the first of two MMR vaccinations (and the second documented MMR vaccination once the demand for MMR vaccine returns to normal).
- If you come in contact with a measles case and do not have any documented measles-containing vaccine doses and your measles immunity is unknown, you will need to be stood down from work during the possible incubation period or until you are confirmed as being immune to measles.
Travel overseas to a country with a measles outbreak
Prior to travel to a country with a measles outbreak:**
- Infants aged 6–11 months can have one MMR vaccination.# The 15 month and 4 year MMR vaccinations remain due to be administered at the relevant ages as per the Immunisation Schedule.
- Children aged 12–14 months can have one MMR vaccination. The second MMR vacicnation remains due when the child is aged 4 years as per the Immunisation Schedule.
- Adults born in 1969 or later can have one MMR vaccination. The second MMR vaccination would be deferred until the demand for MMR vaccine demand returns to normal (and a minimum of 4 weeks after the first MMR dose).
- Adults born in New Zealand before 1969 do not receive a MMR vaccination. They are considered immune to measles as the disease was prevalent and circulating widely prior to introduction of a measles vaccine in 1969.
**Note 1 – Travel to the Auckland region is not currently considered to carry the same level of risk as travel to countries with serious measles outbreaks and MMR0 is not recommended or funded for these infants.
**Note 2 – Travel to
- Japan
- Taiwan
- Philippines
- Thailand
- Syria
- Anywhere in the USA
- European countries – Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and the United Kingdom
- Neighbouring countries in the European region have also been affected: Albania, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine
Source: Fit for travel – Measles risk for international travellers
# Note 3 – PMS entry and claiming:x
– – Enter the dose on the NIR using your PMS high risk MMR vaccine option.
– – Leave the Schedule 15 months and 4 years MMR vaccinations as to be given in the future.
– – The additional vaccination at 6–11 months of age is funded. An Immunisation Subsidy can be claimed.
Latest updates
Ministry of Health – 2019 measles outbreak information
IMAC – Quick update on measles and vaccination priorities, March 2019
Measles within New Zealand
Since 2012, all measles outbreaks in New Zealand started with travellers bringing the disease from overseas. Individuals who have not been immunised against measles or had the disease, and individuals who are immune compromised due to an illness or treatment, may catch the disease next time an overseas traveller who has measles arrives in New Zealand.
In 2019, a total of 360 measles cases were confirmed in New Zealand between 1 January and 23 July. As of 19 July, 142 people with measles had been hospitalised.
| Location by District Health Board | Cumulative number of confirmed measles cases in 2019 |
|---|---|
| Northland | 21 cases |
| Auckland region | 237 cases |
| Waikato | 15 cases |
| Bay of Plenty | 22 cases |
| Lakes | 5 cases |
| Taranaki | 1 case |
| MidCentral | 1 case |
| Wellington region | 17 cases |
| Canterbury | 39 cases |
| Southland | 2 cases |
Other resources
IMAC
Quick answers to frequent MMR questions fact sheet
Measles fact sheet
Diseases and medications when live vaccines may be contraindicated fact sheet
Measles – Why immunise video
Quick update on measles and vaccination priorities, March 2019 video
Protecting children with cancer video
Websites
2019 measles outbreak information, Ministry of Health
Measles weekly report, ESR (Institute of Environmental Science & Research Limited)
SafeTravel, a New Zealand website with advice for New Zealanders living and travelling overseas
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Destinations, travel updates about non-USA countries with measles outbreaks. On the CDC Destinations webpage, choose the country for intended travel from the list of destinations. There will be an 'Outbreak alert' box at the top of the page above the map of the country if that country has a current measles outbreak.