Measles vaccine pop-up visits Whanganui River Markets; more pop-ups planned

Whanganui District Health Board immunisation co-ordinator Bruce Jones (right) gave Barnaby Smith a measles vaccination at the Whanganui River Markets. Photo / Supplied

Vaccination stalls are popping up around the Whanganui region as part of the nationwide measles immunisation campaign.

Immunisation co-ordinators and registered nurses were at the Whanganui River Markets last Saturday to raise awareness about the measles vaccine.

A group of registered nurses, led by Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) immunisation co-ordinator Bruce Jones and Whanganui Regional Health Network immunisation co-ordinator Sue Hina, hosted a stall at the markets, with information and vaccines available.

"The team was very well received, with lots of positive feedback from people saying it was good to see us out and so visible," Jones said.

"Many knew that measles is eight times more contagious than Covid-19 and remembered the measles epidemic of 2019."

The team offered free measles vaccines to anyone aged 15-30 years, with 13 people taking up the offer.

Market convener and WDHB board member Annette Main said it was the first time that vaccines had been offered onsite at the market and she saw possibilities for other types of health initiatives being provided there.

Barnaby Smith, 24, took up the vaccine offer and received his measles immunisation.

"It really didn't hurt at, all thanks to Bruce's expert hand," Smith said.

Hina's moko Oceana, 14, and Jones' daughter Solana, 18, helped with the campaign, handing out pamphlets to market visitors.

If people were unsure if they had already received the vaccine, Jones and Hina were able to check their status on the national immunisation register.

"An added bonus was people checking if their child's immunisations were up to date and agreeing to be followed up by the outreach team," Jones said.

"While vaccinating for measles, we also found a few people who needed their HPV vaccine and were able to give that as well."

There are more measles vaccine pop-up stalls planned for the next four weeks, including at Sound Valley, Pride Week, Marton Harvest Festival, and Family Day. The stall will also make a return to the Whanganui River Markets.