North Carolina has the largest outbreak of smallpox in the country

A North Carolina school with a large "anti-vaccine" community is at the center of the nation's largest chickenpox outbreak, officials say.

Фото: Depositphotos

On Friday, 36 students of the Asheville Waldorf school in Asheville were diagnosed with this disease, writes with the BBC, citing local press. This school has one of the highest rates of religious exemptions from vaccinations.

US health officials say that vaccination is much safer than chickenpox infection.

“This is the largest documented outbreak of chickenpox in the country since the vaccine became available,” a North Carolina Department of Health spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

152 students at Waldorf 110 did not receive the varicella vaccine, which is known to most as chickenpox or chicken pox. According to the state, 67,9% of kindergarten pupils at the school had religious immunization benefits in the 2017-2018 school year.

The elementary school collaborates with local health officials and operates in accordance with all North Carolina laws, a school spokesman for the Air Force said.

“We believe that our parents are very motivated to choose exactly what they want for their children. We, as a school, do not discriminate children on the basis of their medical history or their state of health. ”

Buncombe County, where Asheville is located, has a population of over 250 and 000 has the highest level of religious immunization benefits in the state.

According to the county health ministry, local officials are closely monitoring the situation.

“We want to be clear: vaccination is the best defense against chickenpox,” county Medical Director Jennifer Mullendore said in a statement.

“When we see large numbers of children and adults without immunity, we know that a disease like chickenpox can easily spread throughout the community—on our playgrounds, grocery stores and sports teams.”

Фото: Depositphotos

North Carolina law requires certain vaccinations, including chickenpox, measles and mumps for kindergarten students, but the state allows exceptions for medical and religious reasons.

Most religions do not prohibit vaccination, but in recent years, some US parents have been afraid of adverse reactions to vaccines. While some reactions are indeed possible (for example, allergies), the medical community dispels the vast majority of these fears. All major official health structures, including the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics, encourage vaccination.

How serious is chickenpox?

Varicella, or chickenpox, is a viral infection that causes a blistering rash, itching and fever. In serious cases, this can lead to complications including brain inflammation, pneumonia and death.

The virus spreads through contact, coughing and sneezing, although it is not as infectious as measles, which can be transmitted without any contact.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends vaccinating children between the ages of 1 and 12. Although serious cases are rare, chickenpox spreads easily and can be fatal for some people.

In the 1995, the varicella vaccine was licensed in the United States. According to the CDC, the vaccine prevented 3,5 in America with a million cases of chickenpox, 9, 000 hospitalizations, and 100 deaths.

And although some people may get chickenpox as a result of vaccination, it is very effective in preventing severe or life-threatening cases.

Immunizing the majority of people in a community also helps protect those who are susceptible to possible infection but cannot be vaccinated—for example, pregnant women, infants under one year of age, or people with cancer.

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