| 43 | | - | WHEREAS, high vaccination rates are essential to maintaining public health through herd immunity and preventing the outbreak of eradicable diseases such as measles and smallpox; and WHEREAS, the State recognizes the Department of Health's essential work in keeping Hawaii's communities safe and healthy; and WHEREAS, data from the Department of Health shows a concerning drop in vaccination rates across the State's public, charter, and private schools, with some private schools having non-vaccination rates in excess of sixty percent; and WHEREAS, in the 2023-2024 school year, 17.09 percent of all students either have no immunization record or are missing some immunizations, which is more than triple the number of students receiving religious exemptions; and WHEREAS, the State recognizes increasing community access to vaccines as an essential part of any public health plan to increase vaccination rates; and WHEREAS, the State further recognizes that a program of increasing vaccination availability must be complemented by community engagement and education about the safety and efficacy of vaccines; and WHEREAS, Hawaii's network of community health centers, including federally qualified health centers, play a critical role in providing accessible, affordable, and culturally competent healthcare services, including vaccinations, to underserved communities and school-aged children; and WHEREAS, multiple studies have shown that outreach and education on the safety and efficacy of vaccines have led to increased vaccination rates; and WHEREAS, a program of student education and vaccination clinics carried out by the City of Seattle to increase coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination was successful at increasing levels of vaccination by an average of 8.8 percent over a six-month period; and WHEREAS, when a public-private partnership in Washington launched a vaccination campaign called "Immunity Community", the campaign was successful in reducing rates of vaccine hesitancy among parents by almost ten percent over a period of three years; and WHEREAS, Michigan launched a public-private partnership education program called "I Vaccinate" and achieved a twelve percent increase in teen vaccination rates statewide, using techniques such as parent-to-parent messaging, the maintenance of a public website, and engagement through a social media profile; and WHEREAS, a vaccination education program similar to that in other states but adapted to Hawaii's unique cultural context would be beneficial to the public health of all residents of Hawaii; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Health is urged to undertake preliminary education, outreach, and vaccination drive efforts at schools in Hawaii with vaccination rates under thirty percent, beginning at the start of the 2025-2026 school year, in partnership with community health centers and other local healthcare providers; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is urged to partner with the Department of Education to develop a plan for a long-term program to counter vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccination rates across Hawaii's schools; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to submit a report on the development of the long-term program to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; provided that the report is requested to include recommendations on the funding and any administrative restructuring needed to effectively carry out the program; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education and Director of Health. |
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| 43 | + | WHEREAS, high vaccination rates are essential to maintaining public health through herd immunity and preventing the outbreak of eradicable diseases such as measles and smallpox; and WHEREAS, the State recognizes the Department of Health's essential work in keeping Hawaii's communities safe and healthy; and WHEREAS, data from the Department of Health shows a concerning drop in vaccination rates across the State's public, charter, and private schools, with some private schools having non-vaccination rates in excess of sixty percent; and WHEREAS, in the 2023-2024 school year, that 17.09 percent of all students either have no immunization record or are missing some immunizations, which is more than triple the number of students receiving religious exemptions; and WHEREAS, the State recognizes increasing community access to vaccines as an essential part of any public health plan to increase vaccination rates; and WHEREAS, the State further recognizes that a program of increasing vaccination availability must be complemented by community engagement and education about the safety and efficacy of vaccines; and WHEREAS, multiple studies have shown that outreach and education on the safety and efficacy of vaccines have led to increased vaccination rates; and WHEREAS, a program of student education and vaccination clinics carried out by the City of Seattle to increase coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination was successful at increasing levels of vaccination by an average of 8.8 percent over a six-month period; and WHEREAS, when a public-private partnership in Washington launched a vaccination campaign called "Immunity Community", it was successful in reducing rates of vaccine hesitancy among parents by almost ten percent over a period of three years; and WHEREAS, Michigan launched a public-private partnership education program called "I Vaccinate" and achieved a twelve percent increase in teen vaccination rates statewide, using techniques such as parent-to-parent messaging, the maintenance of a public website, and engagement through a social media profile; and WHEREAS, a vaccination education program similar to that in other states but adapted to Hawaii's unique cultural context would be beneficial to the public health of all residents of Hawaii; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Health is urged to undertake preliminary education, outreach, and vaccination drive efforts at schools in Hawaii with vaccination rates under thirty percent, beginning at the start of the 2025-2026 school year; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is urged to partner with the Department of Education to develop a plan for a long-term program to counter vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccination rates across Hawaii's schools; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Health is requested to submit a report on the development of the long-term program to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2026; provided that the report is requested to include recommendations on the funding and any administrative restructuring needed to effectively carry out the program; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education and Director of Health. |
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