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VASHON ISLAND, Washington. – Sarah Day is a nurse who has a "credibility of the street" regarding the polarizing issue of vaccines on an idyllic island in Washington State, known for its rural beauty, its counter-culture way of life and its low vaccination rates.
Since she began living in community on Vashon Island more than 20 years ago, the registered nurse advocated for children to be vaccinated against the large contingent of anti-vaccine parents in the community. Approximately 11,000 people can only be reached by a 20-minute serene ferry ride from Seattle.
And it may work now, thanks to a "perfect storm" of changes felt on the island, said Day.
The Vashon Island School District experienced a significant increase in the number of fully immunized children. According to the King County Public Health Department, the number of young children who have received mandatory mandatory vaccines has increased by 31% in the last six years, from 56% to almost 74% in the last year. during the 2017-2018 school year.
In the midst of the country's largest measles epidemic in 25 years, vaccine advocates welcome this apparent shift that challenges Vashon's reputation as a home for highly educated parents and opponents of institutions that choose not to vaccinate their children. children against preventable and potentially devastating diseases.
"We are the posters of the anti-vaccinator movement or reluctance to have a vaccine for so long," said Day.
She attributed the increase to more and more visible information on vaccines, expanded access to vaccines and media coverage of measles outbreaks in the Pacific Northwest and New York this year.
The island city deeply rooted in organic agriculture has long attracted those who want to escape urban sprawl and others who fear not to put chemicals in their bodies, whether in their food or in their medical care. Children run barefoot in untamed forests and families still grow pesticide-free fruits and vegetables to share in meals in common houses.
Today, it also has its share of urban commuters, tourists and million dollar vacation homes offering breathtaking views of Mount Rainier, as well as local people claiming that vaccines are safe.
Although the gains are notable, the Vashon School District still has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the United States. This is well below the 95% target according to which a majority of schools around the country revolve around and are essential to immunity for not being vaccinated for medical reasons or because They are too young.
The majority of Vashon's parents said yes to some vaccines, especially tetanus shots for their kids playing outside on the wooded island. But many still refuse the official schedule of injections recommended by health officials. They can select some but not all and space them out over a longer period.
Nicky Wilks, who grew up on Vashon and has three young children, said the change in attitude has led some pro-vaccine parents to exclude children who may not have received the vaccine, while teenagers openly mocked those who were not vaccinated.
"It's the worst scenario when we create physical barriers in our community," said Wilks.
He declined to say whether his family was completely immune, but said it was inappropriate that dozens of vaccines from birth were needed despite the insistence of health officials.
Gator Lanphear says he is "very critical" of parents who do not vaccinate. He added that not only did he immunize his six-year-old twins, but he also taught them the importance of getting a heroic shot.
"They understand that what they have done is benefiting humanity. Yes, they have their ice cream, but they are also eradicating polio, "Lanphear said.
The number of philosophical exemptions in Vashon has dropped significantly, but overall, there remains 11.6% of students whose families choose not to vaccinate. That's five times more than the national median rate.
Nevertheless, Vashon's progress can not be overlooked, as it is unusual for vaccination to accentuate it in a few years when anti-vaccine sentiment is deeply rooted in the community, said William John Moss, professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University.
"It's a big increase, but they have a way to go," said Moss. "This is a lower vaccination rate than many countries in sub-Saharan Africa."
Day, the school nurse worked closely with the new health clinics Neighbourcare, the largest health care provider on the island. Together, they aggressively remind families when they need vaccines and advise them about their concerns, whether based on scientific evidence or not.
"The message really passes. I have the impression that the tide is really turning on the island, "Day said.
A two-year health center in high school is particularly successful. The nonprofit clinic is funded in part by a county grant, which allows it to cover free shots and services for all low-income and uninsured students on the island. Today, about half of the 1,615 students in the school system are enrolled patients and another 43 children attending private school or home school also use the clinic.
Center Director Stephanie Keller said the center received a spike in appeals from concerned parents as Washington State struggled to contain a measles epidemic affecting at least 78 people, seven of whom were reported near Vashon. As of May 10, 839 people have contracted measles in 23 states this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The outbreak prompted Washington governor Jay Inslee to declare a state of emergency and to sign a law that eliminates personal or philosophical exemptions for measles, mumps and rubella vaccine needed before attending a daycare or school. . Parents may still ask for a medical or religious exemption.
Some critics say that the Vashon school system data is not representative of the population because the island is home to many families living off the grid. Immunization advocates argue that this is an important landmark, as figures from a previous survey conducted across the island fit well with data from public schools.
And there are also other signs. The best service provided by the student health center is vaccination, Keller said.
"It surprised us," said Keller. "You think Vashon is that hippie place where no one is vaccinating."
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