Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga has called for the Heath Department to have DoH medical personnel stationed at schools to administer the required MMR to students — who have not gotten their shots — when schools re-open early next month after being closed due to the measles outbreak, followed by the annual Christmas holiday break.

The governor gave the verbal directive at Monday’s cabinet meeting where he announced amending the Dec. 8th emergency declaration, by lifting restrictions on public gatherings and updating restrictions on entry permits. (See yesterday’s Samoa News for details.)

Lolo explained that he made the changes after meeting over the weekend with DOH and LBJ Hospital officials who provided recommendations and suggestions on the next step.

He then asked DOH director Motusa Tuileama Nua for a brief update, so cabinet members and especially the public — through the media — can get a thorough understanding of the latest development.

Motusa confirmed there are now 10 measles cases as of Monday, and DoH is awaiting tests sent to a laboratory in Hawai’i for an 11-month-old infant. He added that in the last three weeks, there have been no new cases reported from LBJ and as of last Saturday, there are no new cases — period.

For school aged children, he said there about 400 still needing an MMR shot, while more than 1,000 need the second dose. He said 90% of children at daycare centers have gotten their shots.

DoH received last Thursday night a shipment of 8,000 doses from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the department has ordered an additional 2,000 doses hopefully to arrive this week. He said there are currently 3,600 doses left, as the territory is now in the mass vaccination phase, which included the canneries last Saturday.

Lolo directed DoH to make sure nurses and other medical personnel are dispatched to each school on island following Christmas break, to ensure all students who didn’t get their required shots get them.

ASG employees have been getting their shots as of last week at two designated sites. Lolo told cabinet members that all ASG employees should get their shots. He spoke about the amendments to the Dec. 8th declaration, saying that lifting the ban on public gatherings comes at a good time, allowing families to gather for the holidays.

TRAVEL ENTRY PERMITS

For those entering American Samoa requiring a permit, Lolo said that under the amended declaration, entry permits are “under scrutiny” for new permit requests. He noted that sponsors of immigrants have been made aware that the individual entering the territory must have immunization shots and the local resident is also required to get an MMR shot, as a condition for renewal to live in the territory.

In a public advisory dated yesterday, Dec. 17, the DOH director said he is “not signing any health clearances for travel entry permits until further notice.”  Instead, the public is to call the Measles Outbreak Hotline at 633-5871 or email measles@doh.as instead of going to the DOH headquarters.

The advisory is signed by Motusa, and CC’d to the Governor’s Office, Attorney General, and director of Treasury.