Another two babies have died in the Samoa measles crisis.
The latest update from the Samoan Government released on Saturday afternoon confirmed there were two measles-related deaths in the last day, bringing the total to 44. One of the dead was aged between zero and five-months-old, while the second was aged between six and 11-months-old. Of the 44 dead, 40 were aged under four-years-old.
A total of 3357 measles cases have been recorded since October when the outbreak began. In the last 24 hours, 208 cases were recorded. It's believed the disease reached the Pacific nation after someone visited from Auckland, where more than 1500 cases have been confirmed this year.
The Government says 189 patients are in health facilities diagnosed with measles. Since the outbreak began, 957 patients have attended hospital, with 727 discharged.
More than 54,000 vaccinations have been completed since a Mass Vaccination Campaign began on November 20.
Samoan health authorities have been assisted over the last two weeks by Kiwi nurses. On Friday, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced additional support and personnel would be deployed to the nation.
The package included funding for 100,000 vaccines as well as 15 specialists and more Samoan-speaking doctors and nurses.
"New Zealand is also looking to provide psychological support for health workers in Samoa, who have been confronted with some distressing cases in very demanding conditions, and communities that have been affected by the health crisis," Peters said.
"This is a very difficult time for Samoa, and our sympathies are with everyone affected."
Counties Manukau Health general manager for pacific health development Elizabeth Powell told Newshub earlier this month that many Samoans are also Kiwis, so it made sense to help out.
"Our families live in the Pacific. My family's in the Pacific. Our south Auckland people, their families are in the Pacific. We are interconnected. We are part of a bigger family," she said.
"The New Zealand Government asked Counties to work alongside the Samoan Ministry of Health and their health teams to look at vaccinating the children under the age of five and vulnerable populations who have not been vaccinated."
But Powell said efforts in Samoa may also have a flow-on benefit for New Zealand.
"By helping Samoa and supporting Samoa around this vaccination programme for measles, we can also be preventing the travel of measles back to New Zealand again."
On Friday, Samoan police shut down an alternative healer who was claiming to help measles victims with water.
