Director General of Health Leausa Dr Take Naseri (middle) with two senior doctors involved in the preparations and awareness of measles in Samoa [Source: RNZ}
Two babies and an adult are believed to have been killed in the measles epidemic in Samoa.
The Samoan government has also ordered all preschools and daycare centres closed until further notice.
In its latest advisory, the health ministry says there have been 15 confirmed cases in Samoa, but there are 314 suspected cases – most of them children under the age of four.
A three-month-old, an eight-month-old and a 37-year-old are all thought to have died from the highly-contagious virus.
Measles vaccination centres have been set up in both Upolu and Savai’i, and the government is urging those who have not been immunised to do so.
A measles epidemic was declared in Samoa earlier this month after it spread from New Zealand where there is an outbreak in the Auckland area.
