Health officials urge parents to vaccinate children against measles

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The state Department of Health says it plans to issue emergency rules to get more children vaccinated against the highly contagious measles virus.

A population vaccination rate of at least 95% is needed to prevent a measles outbreak, health officials said. Having a population vaccination rate high enough to prevent an outbreak, which is based on the contagiousness of the infection, is often called “herd immunity.”

In Hawaii, the measles vaccination rate is 90%.

Vaccination rates can vary locally and by school. Officials said the risk of an outbreak is higher in schools with low immunization rates.

On Wednesday, the department sent a letter to parents and guardians of K-12 students of public, private and charter schools encouraging them to get their child vaccinated against measles if the child is not fully vaccinated.

The letter also announced that DOH will issue emergency rules to remove a barrier to vaccination against the highly contagious measles virus.

The emergency rules will allow children with a religious exemption to receive the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine while retaining the exemption to other vaccines and continuing to attend school.

The rules can be effective only for and would expire in 120 days.

“Measles is a very serious, sometimes fatal disease for children,” said Dr. Sarah Kemble, a pediatrician and state epidemiologist. “The MMR vaccine is our best defense against the measles virus. The emergency rules will remove a potential barrier for families choosing to protect their children with the MMR vaccine.”

Parents are asked to report any updates to their child’s vaccination record to their school to ensure that the school’s vaccination data is accurate and up to date. Should a measles outbreak occur in Hawaii, students without a record of an MMR vaccine may be prohibited from attending school.

To access vaccines, parents and school staff should contact the child’s preferred healthcare provider or a local community clinic.

Schools and offices interested in hosting vaccination clinics can also call the DOH Immunization Branch at (808) 586-8300.

Children should receive two doses of MMR: one at 12–15 months of age and a second dose at 4–6 years of age before school entry.

Adults not at high risk of exposure and who don’t have evidence of prior immunity are recommended to have at least one documented dose of MMR in their lifetime.

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