No New Cases Of Chicken Pox Reported
On Wednesday afternoon, 78 students went home from school with letters noting they needed to receive a Varicella vaccine in the wake of a Chicken Pox outbreak at Milford School.
It was that day when Milford School officials received confirmation they had five cases of the Chicken Pox at the school. The announcement also brought an order from the Indiana State Department of Health that any student without at least the first vaccine in the two-dose immunization will be required to be removed from school for a period of 21 days.
The school immediately partnered with the Kosciusko County Health Department and, for two hours on Thursday, offered an immunization clinic at the school specifically for Milford students and staff members. Communicable Disease RN Teresa Reed with the county health department was at the clinic.
Reed explained that even if the 43 students who received the vaccine yesterday were already exposed to the virus, the immunization would “modify the disease and resolve it quickly” but it will not prevent it. She said children in grades 3-5 are in “the gap” when Indiana did not require the Varicella vaccine.
For religious or other reasons parents could allow their children to be excluded from getting the vaccination, but those students will now be required to be kept out of school for a period of 21 days. According to Reed, the exclusion dates are currently today through Feb. 21. “That could change though. The last exposure may have been last week so next week, after we see if there are additional cases, we will be better able to estimate the exclusion dates,” she said.
After yesterday’s immunization clinic and with immunization records or a history of the disease provided to the school, Milford was down to less than 10 students who would need to be excluded from classes. No new cases were reported today so the exclusion dates are thus far through Feb. 21.
In order to assist Kosciusko with their response, the health department will be taking calls regarding school exclusion. The following ISDH staff should be contacted for questions or concerns regarding the school exclusion: Dana Greenwood, RN-317-233-7560, Sue Henry, RNĀ 317-234-2804 or Shawn Richards at 317-233-7740.