Health NZ, Doctors Sound Warning on Measles Spread

New Zealand’s vaccination rate of around 80 percent risks a ‘nightmare’ scenario if the disease takes hold, doctors say.

Boxes and vials of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella Virus Vaccine at a vaccine clinic put on by Lubbock Public Health Department in Lubbock, Texax, on March 1, 2025. Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images

Experts say New Zealand is at high risk of a measles epidemic, after a case was confirmed in Auckland, the most populous city.

Multiple contact points have been identified, and the vaccination rate is at 80 percent. Preventing a widespread outbreak needs a level of around 95 percent to achieve herd immunity.