Concern for new trend in measles outbreak

By MATTHEW VARI

Wednesday, May 14, 2014 (Midweek Chronicle, PNG)

NEW worrying concerns have arisen of the current measles outbreak occurring in Port Moresby and the country, with the vaccination minimum age group now lowered to below the 6 months mark set previously to 3 months- something that has not been seen by health authorities before.

The main concerned have been seen in Port Moresby, where case numbers have been creeping toward the 500 mark with 454 confirmed cases to date- 74 of which are of infants below 6 months of age.

Director for Public Health in NCD, Dr Niko Wuatai said that they have not seen such instances and measures have to be taken to address the new development in the outbreak.

“We normally do not expect this to happen as infants usually being breast fed are protected by their mothers’ immunity,” Dr Wuatai said.

“It is a grave concern that we are now face with- something we have to seriously sit down and reassess.”

He revealed that the outbreak was now widespread, which made it tough for them to control it as neighboring provinces were now reporting cases.

“It is tough because we cannot control the movement of people in and out the city so it was only a matter of time for other areas were affected,” he said.

Wuatai added that vaccinations in the nation’s capital were temporarily halted due to funding and the issues surrounding the assault of schools census teams that occurred over the past weeks.

He confirmed that funding had already been approved by the Health Ministry and they were waiting to access it to continue the vaccination exercises.

Cases, however, have risen nationwide with 11 provinces reporting confirmed cases of measles like; East Sepik 36 cases, Southern Highlands 30, Western 18, Central 7 cases, East Sepik 5, Western Highlands 3, West Sepik 4, and New Ireland, Enga, Hela, Bougainville, Morobe all confirming single cases each.