Hepatitis vaccinations at childcare centre

Health officials are launching an immunisation and education programme at a childcare centre in Canterbury amid an outbreak of hepatitis A.

Another four cases over the weekend have taken the total number of infections to 25.

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Mel Brieseman said the ABC Learning Centre in Ferrymead has been identified as the source of the problem and children and staff attending it will be vaccinated this week.

He warned there could be more cases, as young children often take a while to show signs of the disease, during which time they continue to be contagious.

Officials are waiting for more stocks of the vaccine to arrive from Auckland.

The hepatitis A outbreak showed how vulnerable the population would be to a bird flu pandemic, Mr Briesman added.

"If we can transmit hepatitis A this readily, then the risk of transmitting avian flu ... well, I hate to think what would happen," he said.

Bird flu would also be spread by airborne particles - through coughing and sneezing - compounding the infection risk from poor hand-washing, Dr Brieseman said.

- NEWSTALK ZB, NZPA