UNITED STATES: Chickenpox outbreak hits North Carolina
A North Carolina school with a large anti-vaccine community is at the heart of the state’s largest chickenpox outbreak in decades, officials say. On Friday 36 students at Asheville Waldorf School were diagnosed with the disease, the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper reported. The school has one of the state’s highest rates of religious exemption, allowing students […]
Buncombe County said 12 children attending a private Asheville school have been diagnosed with chickenpox.
A North Carolina school with a large anti-vaccine community is at the heart of the state’s largest chickenpox outbreak in decades, officials say.
On Friday 36 students at Asheville Waldorf School were diagnosed with the disease, the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper reported.
The school has one of the state’s highest rates of religious exemption, allowing students to skip vaccination.
US health officials say vaccinating is far safer than getting chickenpox.
“This is the biggest chickenpox outbreak state health officials are aware of since the vaccine became available,” a spokesman said.