Let’s Look at Measles & Other Childhood Diseases
Are childhood diseases something we should be worried about? Or are they a fact of life? As I write this, the number of confirmed cases of measles in New Zealand has risen to over 1000. Parents are understandably worried and health professionals are urging people to get the MMR vaccine if they haven’t already.
It got me thinking about all of the other common childhood diseases: chicken pox, colds and flu, hand foot and mouth, warts, whooping cough and meningitis. Some are more serious than others, and some have protective vaccines while others do not.
As parents, we’ve done some research and made our decision about vaccinating our Squoodle Bugs. I’m not here to take a vaccination stance; that’s your call. What I am going to do, is simply share information about the signs of the most common childhood diseases.
What Are NZ’s Most Common Childhood Diseases?
The Ministry of Health’s HealthEd website lists the most common childhood diseases or infections as being:
- Chicken pox – fever, spots, blisters and rash
- Hand, foot and mouth – fever, rash and blisters on palms, soles and in the mouth
- Measles – cough, fever, rash, cold like symptoms
- Rubella – fever, swollen neck glands, rash
- School sores – blisters which burst and turn into scabs
- Slapped cheek – red cheeks and body rash
- Campylobacter – stomach pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, nausea
- Hepatitis A – jaundice, nausea, stomach pains
- Norovirus – nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea
- Rotavirus – nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting
- Influenza – fever, cough, sore throat, headaches, muscle aches
- Strep throat – headache, vomiting, sore throat and could lead to Rheumatic fever
- Whooping cough – whoop cough, vomiting, runny nose, breathlessness
- Conjunctivitis – red eye, irritation, discharge
- Meningococcal meningitis – fever, headache, vomiting, rash
- Meningitis viral – fever, headache, vomiting
- Mumps – jaw pain, jaw area swelling, fever
Some of the above illnesses do have preventative vaccines available. It is the decision of the parent as to whether they’ll vaccinate their child or not. The best advice I can give is to seek advice from health professionals as to the pros and cons of vaccination.
What Childhood Diseases Are in NZ’s Immunisation Schedule?
There is a National Immunisation Schedule for people residing in NZ. It starts from six weeks of age and heads up to 65 years old. There are also funded vaccines for high risk groups which are outside of the schedule. For up to date information, please visit the Ministry of Health’s website.
- 6 weeks – Rotavirus, Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis/Polio/Hepatitis B/Haemophilus influenzae type b
- 3 months – Rotavirus, Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis/Polio/Hepatitis B/Haemophilus influenzae type b, Pneumococcal
- 5 months – Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis/Polio/Hepatitis B/Haemophilus influenzae type b, Pneumococcal
- 15 months – Haemophilus influenzae type b, Measles/Mumps/Rubella, Pneumococcal, Varicella (Chickenpox)
- 4 years – Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis/Polio, Tetanus/Diphtheria/Pertussis
- 11 or 12 years – Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- 45 years – Diphtheria/Tetanus
- 65 years – Diphtheria/Tetanus, Zoster (shingles), Influenza
Pregnant women are also encouraged to receive the influenza vaccine. There are also recommendations that children in Auckland and those visiting Auckland receive their first measles vaccine earlier than 15 months. Please see your GP or Plunket Nurse for information and assistance with your child’s immunisations.
