evidence: The Samoan government closed schools indefinitely Monday as it attempts to quell a measles epidemic that has killed at least six people and hospitalized dozens more. Health officials said the Pacific island nation's low immunization rate is the cause of the outbreak. [...] Samoan officials launched a coordinated effort to fight the spread of measles through a mass vaccination campaign. People under 20 and women between the ages of 20 to 25 have been given priority after being deemed to be vulnerable to the disease. [...] "In response to a request from the people of Samoa, New Zealand is providing 3,000 measles, mumps and rubella vaccines and 12 nurses to assist in containing a serious and growing measles outbreak," New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Friday. On Monday, an additional 18 nurses were deployed.