Fewer Kids In ±á²¹·É²¹¾±Ê»¾± Are Getting Routine Vaccines
The state health department is warning that more unvaccinated students could put children at higher risk for infections like measles.
±á²¹·É²¹¾±Ê»¾± schools are seeing a growing number of students without their required vaccinations, according to the State Department of Health.
In the 2023-24 school year, 21% of students were missing vaccinations, up from nearly 19% in the previous year. The number includes students who have religious or medical exemptions and are attending public, private and charter schools across ±á²¹·É²¹¾±Ê»¾±.
Nearly three-quarters of schools reported more than 5% of their students did not have up-to-date vaccinations, and 36 schools said more than half of their students did not have all of their immunizations.
“Low vaccination rates mean unvaccinated keiki are at increased risk of infection, especially at schools with a high rate of the student population not being up to date,” DOH Director Kenneth Fink said in a press release on Thursday. He added that the state is at risk for a measles outbreak and is seeing increased whooping cough cases.
The number of children without required immunizations has jumped significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic, when new vaccine requirements took place and distrust of medical professionals grew among families. In the 2019-20 school year, only 3.4% of ±á²¹·É²¹¾±Ê»¾± students had missing vaccinations.
The state education department said more than 28,000 students are missing one or more vaccinations in the current academic year, although schools are still reporting numbers.
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Civil Beat’s education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.
