Health officials have realised they cannot deliver a mass immunisation plan in the battle against the measles outbreak in Canterbury.
Instead of the 100,000 people they had hoped to vaccinate, now only 30,000 doses are available, due to supply issues.
There are at least 25 confirmed cases of measles in the region.
Warnings plastered at medical centres around Christchurch tell anyone showing symptoms of measles to stay in their car and ring the centre.
Doctor Phil Schroeder, who's leading the primary response group, says they're anxious about measles "because it's such a contagious virus, the most contagious virus known to human kind".
Dr Schroeder says it's a developing situation. He says most medical centres have fully booked vaccination clinics but are unable to honour them because the vaccine has not arrived yet.
Doctors are waiting for 18,000 doses of the MMR vaccine on the way from Auckland, but they won't be available at medical centres until Wednesday afternoon at the earliest.
Only then can a mass vaccination programme begin. The target was to immunise 100,000 people over six weeks. Now just 30,000 vaccines are available and children and young adults will take priority.
Meanwhile the pressure is on doctors and nurses struggling to keep up with public demand.
"We've had extra staff come in to relieve the pressure, both nursing and admin wise. And we had a fully booked clinic this morning. We did at least 50 vaccines this morning," said Angela Hendra of the Riccarton Medical Practice.
The practice is now down to its final five doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
"We order what we think we need and then we get a notification, 'no you can't have it'," Ms Hendra said.
Opposition leader Simon Bridges says National has "basic questions that need answering from the Government which really are around how many vaccinations they need, what timeframe they'll be able to deliver and deal with them in".
In Rangiora, there's been one confirmed case at Rangiora Borough primary school where 28 students have not been vaccinated. Half of them are staying home all week. And while some parents say they will vaccinate now, again they're waiting on supplies to arrive.
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