Calls to allow pharmacists give measles vaccines during outbreak

Pharmacists and the Opposition are calling for the Government to urgently let chemists give out measles vaccines to help slow a growing outbreak.

Authorities are trying to contain the spread of the highly contagious disease, with 937 cases reported nationwide by the weekend and 759 in Auckland alone.

There are 864 pharmacists around the country who are allowed to provide vaccinations for the flu, shingles, whooping cough and meningitis, but current rules mean they don't get funded to provide the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.

National Party associate health spokesman Shane Reti says the Ministry of Health needs to use every option it has available to stop the outbreak and should change the regulations urgently.

"We shouldn't let its reimbursement policy get in the way of vaccinating children," he said.

"Pharmacists are accessible for people who may be transient, not registered with a GP or otherwise face difficulties in accessing healthcare and we know that these people are the least likely to be vaccinated."

Measles

DHBs had portable cold storage containers to help pharmacies keep large numbers of doses at a safe temperature, Reti said.

"There's no reason not to allow pharmacists to administer measles vaccinations."

It comes after calls from the Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand to let its members help.

"It is now urgent that the Ministry of Health amend the policies and regulations governing who can provide MMR vaccinations to include accredited pharmacist vaccinators, and for Pharmac to fund the delivery of this service," society chief Richard Townley said in an earlier statement.

"There is a robust, proven set of procedures which pharmacist vaccinators follow when providing vaccinations to the public and they are trained the same as other health professionals to carry out vaccination services."

Townley said allowing people to get immunised at pharmacies would also help address part of the inequality in vaccination rates.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said it was urgently exploring what role pharmacists could play in helping improve the uptake of the MMR vaccine.

"There are some issues that need to be worked through before MMR is available in community pharmacies, such as funding, reimbursement, classification, and record keeping," a spokesman said.

On Friday, the Government deployed the National Health Coordination Centre (the NHCC) to organise the response to the outbreak in Auckland and monitor the situation in the rest of the country.

It has sent nurses to schools and doctors in an effort to increase vaccination levels.