If you have a child under 1 year, you may have received a text on Thursday 21st March advising you to check our website for updated information.
The latest guidelines are that we need to protect children under 1 year old by ensuring their parents/caregivers are protected against measles. This is called “ring-fencing” those in our community who can’t receive MMR vaccine (in this case because they are too young for the MMR vaccine to be effective against measles).
We are offering an MMR dose to some of you with a baby under 1 year old. Please read the 2 following groups carefully to work out if you need another MMR dose.
No extra MMR required
If you are aged under 29 years, you don’t need another MMR vaccine if:
- You were vaccinated according to the NZ childhood immunisation schedule of the time. You will have received 2 doses of MMR.
OR
- Your received childhood vaccinations in another country that gave 2 doses of MMR in its schedule.
If you fall into either of these 2 groups, you are protected and don’t need to keep reading this update.
MMR contraindicated
You cannot have the MMR vaccine if you are pregnant or on certain immune-suppressing drugs.
Extra MMR offered
You can have another MMR dose if you fall into either of the following groups:
- You are aged under 29 years, and KNOW or STRONGLY SUSPECT you didn’t receive 2 doses of childhood MMR vaccination.
OR
- You are aged 29 years and older. These people are in the group that may have only received 1 dose of MMR in childhood. Unless you have evidence of receiving 2 doses of MMR, you can receive a second dose of MMR at our practice.
For those meeting the criteria for a second MMR, we are offering a Saturday morning clinic on 23rd March. Please book on-line when the clinic opens up for booking on Thursday 21st March.
It is very important this clinic is kept clear for the eligible parents only. If you do not have a child under 1 year old, do not book into this clinic. We will advise whether MMR is going to be available for other groups who’ve only had 1 MMR dose, as soon as we receive definitive information from the Canterbury Primary Response Group.
