The Health Services Authority told Cayman 27 parents have the choice to refuse vaccinations for their children, but unvaccinated children will be removed from school in the event of an outbreak.
The World Health Organization’s estimates for the year 2013 show 74% of Cayman’s population was immunized against tuberculosis, 86% against hepatitis B, 85% against measles, mumps, and rubella, and 90% against chicken pox.
For MMR and BCG (tuberculosis), the numbers are the lowest reported in the non-Latin Caribbean.
“You’ll always have susceptible persons within the community who cannot get a vaccine, and they will be at risk if somebody refuses a vaccine, so we do try to get them all to do it. If they refuse, then they have to say why they refuse and if the child is in school, we have a right to take the child out during an outbreak,” said Public Health Nurse Angela Graham
Vaccination rates for other diseases like polio and influenza B were reported at 95%.