There's an unprecedented demand for measles vaccinations in Auckland, so doctors are being told to prioritise certain groups above others.

There have been nearly 1400 cases of the disease in New Zealand so far, with 1150 of those in Auckland.

Auckland's three District Health Boards are telling GPs to give MMR vaccines to one and four-year-olds, as usual.

Maori and Pasifika, aged between five and 29, are next in line because measles is spreading in these groups, and high numbers have ended up in hospital.

A hundred thousand more vaccines have been ordered for the country but they won't arrive for another few months.