Wellington Girls College
Photo: supplied
A Wellington principal says she was following Health New Zealand advice when she gave the green light to a prize-giving ceremony now at the centre of a measles contact-tracing operation.
The same school is now telling some students to stay home, against the advice from the Ministry of Education.
There are currently 17 known cases of measles in New Zealand. They are in Northland, Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington, and Nelson.
Wellington Girls’ College students in years 9, 10 and 11 are the latest to have to stay away from school because of the measles outbreak.
The school has identified about 900 close contacts of student with measles, who was in class on Tuesday last week and took part in prizegiving activities the next day.
Wellington Girls’ College principal Julia Davidson told Morning Report she specifically asked whether the event, held last week at the Michael Fowler Centre, should go ahead, and was told it could given the community’s high level of immunisation.
A student was later found to have attended the event, as well as classes and a prize-giving rehearsal, while symptomatic.
The school has put classes online for students in years 9, 10 and 11, while their vaccination statuses are checked, something Davidson said the Ministry of Education said they shouldn’t be doing.
“I have to say, were ignoring their advice at the moment by keeping people home for three days,” she said.
“We talked it through and the board have talked it through, and we just want to be a bit more cautious.
“We have staff who have babies under one, people who have family members who are compromised, health wise.”
Davidson said the school has cancelled all its planned trips and events, but exams will continue for its seniors.
Comment has been requested from the Health NZ and Ministry of Education.
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