Wellington Girls’ College students in years 9, 10 and 11 are staying away from school because of the measles outbreak. The school has identified about 900 close contacts of a student with measles, who was in class last Tuesday and took part in prizegiving activities the next day.
Wellington Girls’ College principal Julia Davidson told Morning Report she asked whether the event, held at the Michael Fowler Centre, should go ahead, and was told by Health NZ it could given the community’s high level of immunisation.
A student was later found to have attended the event, as well as classes and a prize-giving rehearsal, while symptomatic.
The school has now put classes online for students in years 9, 10 and 11, while their vaccination statuses are checked, something Davidson said the Ministry of Education said they shouldn’t be doing.
“I have to say, we’re ignoring their advice at the moment by keeping people home for three days,” she said. “We talked it through and the board have talked it through, and we just want to be a bit more cautious.
“We have staff who have babies under one, people who have family members who are compromised, health wise.”
Davidson said the school has cancelled all its planned trips and events, but exams will continue for its seniors.
Health NZ said it can only offer advice and it was the school’s decision. Its executive national director, Dr Nick Chamberlain, told Morning Report the public health advice was children could go back. However, unvaccinated students must stay home.
Chamberlain defended Health NZ’s call to let the prize giving go ahead, as it was thought to be safe event as there were no identified cases at the time.
“There are all sorts of events occurring across the country… Restricting all of those large events could be over-kill. We are doing our absolute best to try and balance between the health requirements and the needs of students.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report the government is taking the outbreak “incredibly seriously”. He said Health NZ and the Ministry of Health are in the best place to make assessments and we should be following their advice.
“In a first world country, we shouldn’t be having measles outbreaks. We shouldn’t be having schools shut down. But we need parents to do their part, which is to get their kids vaccinated,” Luxon said.
Chamberlain said the measles vaccine is incredibly safe and effective, with two doses giving 99% immunity. “So, we have protection for this frightening and very, very infectious disease,” he said.
Health NZ encourages people to check their vaccination status, and if not immune, to get the vaccines.
Pharmac has reported a surge in demand for the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine since the current outbreak.