The number of students in Hawaiʻi who are not up to date with their immunizations is on the rise, according to recent data from the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH). For the 2023-24 school year, 39,583 students, or 21% of those enrolled in public, charter, and private schools, were not current with required vaccinations. This marks a 25% increase compared to the previous academic year.
This increase primarily stems from seventh-grade requirements introduced in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. The data reveals that while 16% of kindergarteners were not up to date with vaccinations for the current school year, this figure rose significantly to 55% among seventh graders.
Out of 382 schools reporting for the academic year, 282 schools indicated that more than 5% of their student populations were not meeting immunization requirements. Notably, nearly 10%, or 36 schools, reported over half of their students lacking up-to-date vaccinations.
In public schools alone, the Hawaiʻi Department of Education (DOE) identified that 36,026 students were missing one or more required immunizations for this school year. Preliminary figures for the upcoming school year show a slight decrease to about 28,300 students without complete vaccination records. Schools have until January 10th to report these numbers to DOH.
Dr. Kenneth Fink, DOH director stated: “An increase in the number of students without up-to-date immunizations is a cause for concern.” He emphasized that high vaccination rates protect individuals unable to receive vaccines due to medical reasons through herd immunity and warned about increased risks such as pertussis and potential measles outbreaks due to low vaccination rates.
The state allows two types of exemptions from vaccinations: medical and religious. The religious exemption rate has risen statewide from an average of 2.1% in the school year starting in 2019-20 to approximately 4.1% currently. Medical exemptions remain low but have doubled from previous years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has corroborated this upward trend in religious exemptions through independent analysis. Nationwide vaccine hesitancy has been growing since COVID-19 began largely due to misinformation and challenges accessing healthcare services especially in rural regions.
To combat these issues, DOH is collaborating with educational institutions and healthcare providers focusing on educating families about vaccine importance; improving access via pharmacies and physician practices; and enhancing data collection through updates like modernizing the Hawaiʻi Immunization Registry.
