All high schools, elementary schools, and the community college in American Samoa have reopened following a recent outbreak of measles in the territory. However, students must be fully vaccinated for measles to attend.
The decision to reopen schools was made after two confirmed cases and 52 suspected cases of measles were reported in the territory. All schools had previously been told to close until May 12th, and daycares and early childhood education centres remain closed.
According to the Department of Health, the immunization campaign for the daycare and early childhood age group is ongoing, and a decision on when they will reopen will be made based on the vaccination coverage. The territory’s epidemiologist, Scott Anesi, noted a decrease in calls to the Department of Health’s measles hotline and a decrease in people going to clinics with symptoms. However, Anesi warned that the outbreak may not yet be over and that they are still expecting cases.
Anesi also said that both high schools and elementary schools are over 97 percent immunized, “so we felt comfortable with the government’s decision to go ahead and open those back up.” To ensure that the outbreak is contained, the government has mandated that all students be fully vaccinated for measles before attending school.
As part of efforts to control the outbreak, a batch of 39 tests from people who were suspected of measles returned negative after nasopharyngeal testing, and will now be blood tested. Two cases have been detected, one an eight-year-old girl and the other a four-year-old boy from Tafuna who goes to the same school.
It is important to follow the guidelines and recommendations of public health officials during an outbreak of a contagious disease like measles to protect oneself and others from further spread of the disease.