Schools consider cancelling trip to Fieldays

Schools have been ringing the Waikato DHB today to express their concern about measles spreading at Fieldays.

Some have been thinking of cancelling school trips this week to prevent the disease from spreading but the Waikato DHB said the risk of measles at the annual agricultural event is minimal.

There was one case of measles at Armageddon expo three weeks ago and Fraser High School has since reported 40-45 cases, all of whom are in isolation.

This has sparked concern for Fieldays visitors and stall-holders who are not immunised against the disease but Dr Anita Bell, medical officer of health at the DHB, said the problem is being contained with infected individuals in isolation.

“The risk to anyone in Hamilton is minimal,” she said.

With the event being held mostly in large open spaces, the possibility of infection is small, but Dr. Bell said that this serves as a reminder for people to make sure their families are immunised.

“Just because you live in Hamilton doesn’t mean you have measles. If I thought there was going to be a risk, I would have put some information out there.”

Waikato District Health Board Communications Director, Mary Anne Gill, said there is a potential of measles being spread wherever people gather and that Fieldays does not pose a higher risk than other events.

The DHB has been receiving phone calls today from schools after an article in the Waikato Times this morning which talked about a risk of measles at the event.

She said they were concerned and were asking if they should cancel their school trips.

The schools were told there should be no increased risk of measles to the staff and students attending the event and that the schools should follow through with their plans to visit the agricultural show.

Rhode Street School who are going ahead with their trip to the event tomorrow, are unconcerned about the measles outbreak.

The school’s office manager Winnie Pasene said, “Has it affected us at all? No.”