Thomas Airey has been a journalist in Samoa during the measles crisis. Photo / Supplied
Thomas Airey has been a journalist in Samoa during the measles crisis. Photo / Supplied
Napier journalist Thomas Airey's felt the frustration and the sadness of the measles crisis in Samoa first-hand.
Airey, who's been working out of Samoa for a year, says it's been a month unlike anything he's experienced before.
The death toll in Samoa now sits at 76. Most deaths have beenyoung children and infants. There have been over 5000 cases of measles in Samoa.
Airey describes the measles crisis as an all-encompassing topic, which has changed everyone's lives and brought a huge mood of sadness.
"It's been really tough to be here, especially with how preventable it all seems given how effective vaccinations are against measles, and how inevitable a spread to Samoa was when the outbreak happened in New Zealand," Airey said.
Vaccinations are starting to prevent the disease spreading and killing more. Photo / File
Under-vaccination has been a primary issue in the measles crisis. Samoa has been affected by the spread of the disease more so than its Pacific neighbours.
"It's tragic enough that 70 people have died already, almost all of them infants and very young children that were born into a global society that couldn't protect them.
"It shouldn't have been that hard to do so," Airey said.
Slow government action, an under-resourced health system, and to a degree the impact of traditional remedies such as Kangen water has heightened the effect of measles, Airey said.
"On top of a rich history of traditional healing, It seems like there's a perception here that hospital is where people go to die.
"So more often than not people only go as a very last resort, having exhausted all the home remedy-type options," he said.
As the vaccination programme moves towards 100 per cent the death toll has, thankfully, started to stall.
"From what we've been told by the Government, there hasn't been much resistance and the mass compulsory vaccination programmes have been pretty effective," Airey said.
The state of emergency order in place which has banned children under 19 from gathering in groups has made Apia, Samoa's capital city, much quieter, Airey said.
He described how local industries have been feeling the impact of the now quiet streets.
"Everyone is doing what they can to be business as usual given the circumstances," he said.
