Labour say David Seymour's media event where people getting measles test showed poor judgement

Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says Acting Prime Minister David Seymour's media event in a space where people were getting measles immunity tests showed poor judgment and put people at risk.

On Saturday, Seymour went to Auckland Grammar School, where about 300 students and teachers were getting serology tests done to check whether they'd had measles vaccinations, after a case was identified at the school.

It is understood that some of the people being tested onsite were considered close contacts and were in quarantine.

Verrall said Seymour showed poor judgment and created a risk of spreading the disease by hosting the event there.

"People are in quarantine, because they're at risk of getting measles. Bringing new people in there heightens that risk of measles spread."

She said ministers should show leadership.

"It's fine to have photo opportunities that raise awareness," she said. "It's just that in this particular case, he didn't judge the safety of that event adequately."

Seymour had planned to get a serology test himself at the event. He told reporters he was initially told the testing station would be open to a wider range of people.

"When we arrived here, we got new information," he said. "We responded to that to make sure everyone was safe at all times."

"Yet what we're doing is drawing attention to the efforts that are being made, and the steps that people can take to ensure that we stamp out this outbreak and that education continues, two goals that are very important."

Seymour then told reporters double-immunised people, such as himself, could be on school grounds and he hoped everyone attending was immunised.

Auckland Grammar School would be open on Monday to double-immunised students.

In a subsequent statement, Seymour said: "The test site took place in an open school ground.

"Members of the public were walking back and forth to play sport in the school gym. The person in charge of the test was perfectly happy with the media and me being there.

"Ayesha Verrall is usually more serious than this completely misinformed attempt at political pointscoring."

However, RNZ's reporter at the press conference said testing staff approached the media and were annoyed that reporters had arrived close to where testing was taking place.

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