Parents urged to immunise kids against measles

Parents are being asked to make sure immunising their children against measles is a priority.

The Ministry of Health says the number of notified cases so far this year is already seven times the total number of last year.

Ministry spokesman Dr Pat Tuohy says a proportion of parents make the conscious decision not to immunise their child - but others are just too busy.

"There is a significant number who either never get around to it, or are worried about immunisation and so therefore, they just delay and delay and delay and this is what we have."

Dr Tuohy says the ministry may even take the measure of asking schools to send home children who are not immunised, in an effort to contain the outbreak.

In the Auckland region, 18 people have been confirmed with measles and there have been more than 100 cases in Canterbury.

- NEWSTALK ZB