Authors: Caleb Fotheringham, Christina Persico and Monica Miller
Photo: AFP
American Samoa is on high alert with 31 suspected measles cases now reported after last week's confirmation of the territory's first case.
On Sunday night local time Director of Health Motusa Tuileama Nua said the suspected cases were in various locations across Tutuila, the largest island in the territory.
On Tuesday last week health officials confirmed that an eight-year-old girl who was seen at a community centre with symptoms on March 27 had tested positive for measles.
All schools in the territory as well as the American Samoa Community College have been closed and will remain shut until May 12.
In a letter to parents and guardians on Sunday, the Deputy Director of Education said the Department of Health has advised for all school children to remain at home due to the spread of active measles cases.
All Department of Education after-school gatherings such as academic programs, sports programs & practices, and community outreach programs have also been suspended.
Measles vaccination drive ramps up
To contain the spread of this virus, the Education Department would be working collaboratively with Department of Health staff to ensure that all school children are fully vaccinated, the letter said.
Department of Health epidemiologist Scott Anesi told RNZ Pacific a new vaccination campaign was underway targeting unvaccinated people and babies over six months old.
"As with anything, the more you look the more you find. So we are expecting because we are ramping up testing, we will be starting to see clusters and positive cases rolling in," Anesi said.
The current vaccination rate for measles, mumps, and rubella is about 90 percent in American Samoa.
The Department of Health has set up designated sites for parents to go and speak with health staff to ensure their child's vaccination is updated.
This handout picture released from UNICEF Samoa shows nurse April Wilson (L) and team leader Luisa Popo preparing vaccinations during a nationwide campaign against measles in the Samoan town of Le'auva'a. Photo: AFP PHOTO / ALLAN STEPHEN / UNICEF
Samoa still measles free but remaining vigilant
Meanwhile, Samoa's Director General of health, Aiono Dr Alec Ekeroma said there could "definitely" be a measles case in the country based on American Samoa having one.
However, he said so far nobody had tested positive.
"We are very mindful of the fact that measles is a very infectious disease and that a few cases, in American Samoa will mean that it could easily get across the border," Aiono told RNZ Pacific.
"We're not going to close borders because of it but we will be requiring that anyone travelling to us that they have been vaccinated against measles and that they don't have any symptoms."
Last month, Samoa had suspected cases of measles that came back negative after blood tests were sent to New Zealand.
Aiono said the vaccination rate was too high for another situation like 2019, where a measles outbreak killed 83 people, the majority of them children.
The country is in the middle of a vaccination drive that has been ongoing for about a month.
Aiono said the rate had gone up, in rural areas it is now close to 100 percent but around the capital the second dose rate was around 40 to 50 percent.