NSW residents are urged to be fully vaccinated against measles before travelling to New Zealand where 1051 cases have been reported this year.

The warning from NSW Health comes after four infected New Zealand travellers returned to Australia.

New Zealand bound travellers should ensure they are vaccinated against measles following the worst outbreak in two decades. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

"This highly contagious disease presents a risk not only to travellers and their families, but also to the wider NSW community if people return from their travels infectious with measles," NSW Health Director, Communicable Diseases Vicky Sheppeard said.

The surge of measles cases in New Zealand is the country's worst outbreak in two decades, with 877 incidents reported in Auckland.