Skip to main content

Kōrero: Epidemics

Ngā whakaahua, ngā rauemi katoa

Mai i te whārangi 1 - Epidemics, pandemics and disease control

A newspaper clipping.

Early influenza epidemic

Timeline of epidemics in New Zealand

Timeline of epidemics in New Zealand

Several wooden houses on a hill above a small harbour, including a close-up of a small wooden shack.

Quarantine station, 1911

A cartoon of a mother cleaning while her children study at a nearby table. A newspaper praises parents’ home schooling efforts.

Home schooling, 1948

International comparisons

International comparisons

Mai i te whārangi 2 - The typhoid era, 1810s to 1890s

A newspaper clipping about a measles outbreak at Parihaka.

Measles at Parihaka

Several large buildings face a large open drain which is crossed by a simple wooden footbridge.

Ligar Canal, Auckland, 1860s

A gravestone in a cemetery listing the names of five children from the same family.

Nurses and others stand in front of tents next to a simple wooden house in a remote area.

Typhoid camp, 1924 (1 o 3)

Typhoid map, Wellington, 1892

Typhoid map, Wellington, 1892 (2 o 3)

Causes of death, Christchurch, 1875–1910

Causes of death, Christchurch, 1875–1910 (3 o 3)

Mai i te whārangi 3 - The influenza era, 1890s to 1920s

Dozens of dead rats laid out in three lines in front of a pile of rubble.

A man sitting at a desk with a microscope and other scientific equipment.

Bacteriologist John Gilruth, 1900

A young girl with spots all over her body sits on a nurse’s knee.

Child with smallpox, 1904

Influenza pandemic, Christchurch, 1918

Influenza pandemic, Christchurch, 1918 (1 o 3)

A copper and brass inhaler with a wooden handle.

Influenza inhaler (2 o 3)

Numerous women holding young children and babies.

Children affected by the influenza pandemic, 1918 (3 o 3)

A public health poster with instructions for nursing people with influenza, including advice about food and medicine.

Influenza instructions to nurses

Male and female death rates from influenza in 1918

Male and female death rates from influenza in 1918

Mai i te whārangi 4 - The polio era, 1920s to 1960s

A nurse arrives at a farm and talks to the members of a family.

A film clip showing children undergoing various forms of physical therapy, including learning to walk again.

Rehabilitation of polio victims

A smiling woman sitting on a tricycle.

Polio survivor June Opie

Mai i te whārangi 5 - New epidemics, 1970s to early 21st century

A cartoon of a pig with wings flying over a map of New Zealand, titled ‘Swine Flew’.

A man holding a crying child standing next to a woman.

The first MeNZB shot

A woman speaking from a podium in front of three New Zealand flags, with a sign language interpreter at her side.

‘Now is the time to act’: Prime Minister announces COVID-19 lockdowns

A group of people wearing masks, in a large hall, surrounded by many boxes and bags of food.

Caring during an epidemic: Kōkiri Marae

Mai i te whārangi 6 - Preventing epidemics, 1970s to early 21st century

A billboard next to a hospital.

A young girl makes a surprised face as a woman injects her with a vaccine.

Rubella vaccination, 1982

Four women wearing masks at an outdoor event with stalls in the background.

COVID-19 vaccination event in Cannons Creek

Childhood immunisation coverage rates at 24 months of age, by ethnicity, 2009–2022

Childhood immunisation coverage rates at 24 months of age, by ethnicity, 2009–2022

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:

Geoff Rice, 'Ngā whakaahua, ngā rauemi katoa', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/epidemics/media (accessed 29 April 2024)

He kōrero nā Geoff Rice, i tāngia i te 5 May 2011, reviewed & revised 8 Feb 2024