There are now a total of nine measles cases across Northland. Photo: Supplied/ US CDC
Three new cases of measles have being reported in Northland, and people who have attended exams at Kerikeri High School in early September are asked to be vigilant for any symptoms.
Measles is a serious infectious illness which can cause pneumonia, severe diarrhoea, brain inflammation and death - even in healthy children and adults. The best protection from the illness is two doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine.
There is now a total of nine cases across Northland, and one unrelated case in the Queenstown area - all are linked to recent overseas travel.
A list of locations of interest linked to the current outbreaks is being updated on HNZ's website.
Health New Zealand said the three new cases were all close contacts.
It said one of cases was only identified as a close contact after becoming infectious, which meant they may have spread measles to others in the community without realising, and through no fault of their own.
"Public health is tracing these locations now. Where people can't be contacted directly at these places, they may be published as Locations of Interest so whānau and communities can make informed choices to protect themselves and others," the agency said.
Kerikeri High School has exposure dates during exam time on 3, 4 and 5 September between 8.50am and 12 midday on all three days.
HNZ is urging anyone who was at the school during these times, and who has had a fever or rash to call Healthline.
The agency is also urging people in the Northland, Queenstown and Cromwell communities to continue monitoring themselves for symptoms such as a fever, cough, runny nose, sore eyes and a rash.
The latest HNZ statistics showed just 61 percent of all children in Northland who are under five years old are fully immunised, and that number drops to 50 percent for Māori children in Northland.
Sixty three percent of people aged under 25 in Northland had received the MMR vaccine, HNZ said.
Measles is highly contagious and up to 90 percent of non-immune people (those who have not been vaccinated or have not already had it) will be infected if they are exposed to the virus.
About 80 percent of New Zealanders are immune - well below the 95 percent coverage needed to prevent an outbreak.
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