Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Health Department has recorded another laboratory confirmed measles case, an 8-year-old, bringing the total number to 10 cases for American Samoa; and, last Saturday, mass vaccination at two sites including one at the StarKist Samoa cannery plant began.

DoH officials suspect that the latest case was locally transmitted and they are currently working on finding out — through contact tracing — how the 8-year-old contracted measles. The case was among 11 samples that were sent to a laboratory in Hawai’i for testing.

TRAVEL UPDATES

DoH in a public statement last week provided a new travel update, in which all travelers departing the territory can travel after receiving their MMR vaccination. Passengers traveling to a measles affected area and returning to the territory “must sign a waiver form” acknowledging they will be denied entry if they do not meet the 14-day period.

DoH also says adults 63 years old and older traveling from measles infected areas are “required” to show proof of MMR immunity, or acquired a MMR shot 14 days prior to travel to American Samoa. (It was originally stated that such adults were not required to get a MMR shot.)

MASS VACCINATION

DoH’s public mass vaccination, which runs through Dec. 21st, began last Saturday at the StarKist Samoa site — for cannery workers — and at Leloaloa, serving nearby villages of Satala and Atu’u.

Health director Motusa Tuileama Nua said last week that StarKist had requested vaccination of its workforce.

DoH has scheduled 3 village sites for today, Dec. 16th: CCCAS church hall in Amanave, Catholic Church hall Leone; and Fa’aua’a guest house in Vailoa. Tomorrow, Tuesday, is Leituala guest house in Iliili; CCCAS church hall in Faleniu; and the Tafuna Community Health Center for the Tafuna area.

According to DoH, the EOC vaccination site, on the ground floor of the old Argosy building in Ottoville, remains open throughout the vaccination period. This site was used last week to vaccinate First Responders and ASG employees working on the West side of Tutuila, but members of the general public also showed up. During mass vaccination, DoH says all sites are open from 8a.m to 5p.m and the public is requested to bring a government issued photo ID.

ANZ BANK REMOVES FEE FOR SENDING MONEY TO SAMOA

In a statement last Thursday, ANZ Amerika Samoa Bank announced that it has removed the fee for customers to send money from American Samoa to Samoa until Jan. 9, 2020 to help the flow of funds to communities impacted by the measles crisis.

This applies to payments made from ANZ accounts in American Samoa to all bank accounts in Samoa.

“As a country, we still have close ties to our cousins in Samoa. Any devastating event there impacts our family, friends and customers here,” ANZ American Samoa Country Head, Tasi Scanlon is quoted in the statement.  “Making it easier for our local customers to support their relatives and friends in Samoa is an important way for us to lend a hand.”

The move follows a WST$100,000 (USD$42,000) donation from ANZ to Samoa’s National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) to support their work in the fight against measles.