A large anti-vaccine community in a North Carolina school is at the heart of the largest chickenpox outbreak in decades in the state, officials say.
So far 36 students of Asheville Waldorf School in North Carolina have come down with chickenpox, a private school with highest religious vaccination exemption rates in the state.
110 out of 52 students do not have the chickenpox vaccine.
Buncombe County Medical Director, Dr. Jennifer Mullendore said that the vaccines work; they prevent the spread of contiguous illness. We lack the protection of vaccines, we see outbreaks.
While vaccines are required in North Carolina, students can be exempt for religious and medical reasons.
Experts says that the new outbreak shows that why vaccine are so critical.
When they see chickenpox spread through a community because of low vaccination rates, that’s the canary in a coal mine saying other diseases could spread as well, as per the officials.
For this week, the school will remain closed.
“The school follows immunization requirements put in place by the state board of education, but also recognizes that a parent’s decision to immunize their children happen before they enter school,” said The Asheville Waldorf School.
-Harleen Sandhu
