New Zealand-based Pacific medical professionals who volunteered their time to help during the Samoa Measles epidemic say on-going vigilance must continue in the islands.
This comes as countries across the region brace themselves for a new threat, this time from the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.
At a dinner and debrief in Auckland recently, members of the Pacific Medical Assistance Team (PACMAT) to Samoa spoke of the need to monitor those who were affected during the outbreak.
Paediatrician Dr Teuila Percival says children are still vulnerable.
“Post- the out-break, there’s fantastic vaccination that happened up there but there’s still a need to see how patients who’ve recovered from measles are doing particularly the children with severe lung infections”
“I think in terms of the Corona Virus, Samoa’s already showing a lot of leadership in maintaining their border security & surveillance with their public health system..”
Eighty-three deaths have been connected with the measles outbreak in Samoa and over a three-month period, PACMAT deployed over 80 health specialists to Samoa.
