As many of you will have heard, the measles outbreak is getting pretty serious now, particularly in the upper North Island. Measles is incredibly contagious and one measles patient can infect 16-18 others!

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known to humans, a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can spread to others through coughing and sneezing. Also, measles virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace where the infected person coughed or sneezed.

If other people breathe the contaminated air or touch the infected surface, then touch their eyes, noses, or mouths, they can become infected. Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, up to 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected.

We’re asking, for the sake of our at more risk friends & family such as young children/babies, pregnant women, cancer patients and those that are unable to be immunised - please do not book into the Lodge unless you are over 50 yrs of age, or have had measles previously, or have had the MMR vaccine at least two weeks prior to the event.

We appreciate your co-operation as we implement these preventative actions.

Please note that this extraordinary request is not an attempt to discriminate against those that have made a choice to not receive vaccinations, rather an attempt to protect the most vulnerable members of our community from this potentially life-threatening disease.