Should Unvaccinated Students be Forced to Stay Home During Measles Outbreak?

As the outbreak of confirmed measles cases in Orange County reaches 16, the Orange County Healthcare Agency has issued a letter to parents of school-aged children warning them that their unvaccinated children could be excluded from attending school to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease.

In fact, two dozen unvaccinated students were recently dismissed from Huntington Beach High School for three weeks after a student with measles showed up to school, reported The Orange County Register.

“Measles is an infection that spreads very easily through the air. Simply being in the same room with someone who has measles is enough to become infected. Because measles is so contagious, it can spread rapidly once introduced and cause outbreaks, especially in schools or day cares where immunization rates are low,” Orange County Health Officer Eric G. Handler, wrote in a letter to parents. “If your child has not received at least one dose of MMR and is exposed to measles, he/she may be excluded from attending school or child care to prevent further spread of disease.”

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK IN THE COMMENTS: Do you think it’s punitive to force unvaccinated children to miss school during an outbreak? Or do you think it’s a reasonable way to contain an outbreak as more and more parents reject medical science and opt not to have their children vaccinated?