Mandatory vaccinations, a crackdown on public gatherings and a closure of all schools is now in force in Samoa with the Government declaring a state of emergency as the country struggles to contain a measles epidemic which affected over 700 people and caused the deaths of six people, five of whom were infants. The scale of the epidemic is being blamed on low vaccination rates. 

Emergency laws enforced on Saturday 16 November, declared that MMR vaccinations are compulsory for anyone who had not yet received a vaccination injection and forbid anyone under the age of 17 from joining public gatherings.

According to local reports, the main hospital's intensive care units are at full capacity. Australian and New Zealand medical teams have been flown in to help relieve Samoan doctors and nurses.

Meanwhile in Tonga, all Government primary schools and kindergartens have been closed since last week in the wake of a measles outbreak, with 251 cases confirmed and no deaths, according to a situation report published by the Ministry of Health last week.