Four Measles Cases Raise Outbreak Fears in New Zealand

Health authorities in Aotearoa New Zealand say measles is likely spreading after four recent confirmed cases in Manawatū, Nelson and Auckland (the Auckland case was travel‑linked), with some cases not linked to travel and several exposure locations under investigation. National MMR coverage is well below the roughly 95% threshold needed to stop transmission—about 80% overall—and is much lower among Māori and Pacific children and in districts such as Manawatū where only 69% of two‑year‑olds are fully vaccinated. Officials are urging catch‑up MMR vaccination, publishing exposure sites, and targeting under‑vaccinated communities to protect infants too young for the vaccine. Experts cite lessons from New Zealand’s severe 2019 epidemic and warn measles can cause serious acute illness and longer‑term immune harm. Public‑health leaders also point to a concurrent large measles outbreak along the Utah–Arizona border in the United States, driven by local vaccination rates of roughly 78–82%, underscoring the need for rapid action to prevent larger outbreaks.