As you may have heard, measles is on the rise, and students in Oregon are at higher risk for contracting measles due to low vaccination rates. As of August 9, Oregon had seen 26 cases of measles. All were unvaccinated, and two required hospitalization.
As students head back to school, please keep these important points in mind:
- Review your student’s vaccination status and make sure their vaccines are up-to-date. The MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine is two doses and has been 97% effective in preventing measles.Â
- Measles is a highly contagious, serious disease. If a case is confirmed in a school, Washington County Public Health workers will review all staff and student vaccination records to determine the risk of further spread.Â
- If your student is feeling ill, please refer to BSD’s Too Sick for School guidelines to help you make a decision about when to keep your child home from school.Â
- If you have questions or concerns about your child’s health, please contact your doctor. If you’re worried about paying to see a doctor, the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) can help. OHP is open to all children and teens younger than 19, who meet income and other criteria, regardless of immigration status. To enroll, go to the OHP website.
