Five Cases of Chickenpox Reported at Milford School
Posted
Jordan Fouts-
MILFORD – Immunizations are being provided to students at Milford School today after an outbreak of chickenpox was confirmed. Students who do not or cannot receive immunization, or show that they have already received both immunizations, will be excluded from school for several weeks by order of the State Department of Health. The school confirmed a fifth case of chickenpox Tuesday after noting four other cases in the last 21 days. The Kosciusko County Health Department tracked cases with Milford and offered free doses of the second immunization for varicella-zoster, the chickenpox virus, after the fifth case was noted. Immunizations were scheduled to be given today at the school between noon and 3 p.m. for students whose parents signed a permission slip, according to a letter Principal Cindy Kaiser sent parents Wednesday. The school previously notified parents that immunizations would be available, but didn’t receive notice from the State Health Department that certain students may have to be excluded from school until after all students had gone home Tuesday, Wawasee School Corp. Superintendent Dr. Tom Edington said this morning. He said letters were then sent to about 50 families who had religious objections to immunizations on file or who had not received all varicella immunizations. Milford is the first school in the county to meet the “outbreak” threshold for chickenpox under rule changes from the past few years, according to Teresa Reed, the communicable disease nurse with the Kosciusko County Health Department. Children over sixth grade should have two varicella vaccines under state rules, Reed said this morning. But the state recognizes religious objections and medical exemptions. The school exclusion for students without immunization is 21 days because that is the incubation period for the virus, she added. She said the exclusion period for unvaccinated children will start Friday and may go until the 21st, though the duration may change when more information is received. She said the following ISDH staff should be contacted for questions or concerns regarding the school exclusion: Dana Greenwood, RN: 317-233-7560; Sue Henry, RN: 317-234-2804; or Shawn Richards, 317-233-7740.
