Shaker Heights Schools Nurses Urge Parents To Vaccinate Kids

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — The nurses of the Shaker Heights Schools are asking parents to vaccinate their children against measles.

On Wednesday, the school district released a list of facts about vaccines and urged families that had chosen not to vaccinate to reconsider their decision. The nurses said they were prompted by the growing outbreak of measles in Washington.

More than 70 confirmed cases of measles have been documented in two Washington counties. In late January, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a state of emergency in the state, and there are reports that at least 800 children are being kept out of school because of the outbreak.

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Similar measles outbreaks have occurred recently in New York City, Maryland, Illinois, and Texas. The last major outbreak in Ohio happened in 2014 when there were 383 cases within unvaccinated Amish communities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here's what the nurses said to the community this week:

Your Shaker Heights Schools Nurses strongly advise all families who have not vaccinated their children against measles to reconsider your decision. A few of the important reasons to vaccinate:

1. Vaccination saves lives.
2. Vaccination protects the people you care about. Vaccination is not just a personal choice. The vaccinated community helps to protect those who are not vaccinated, a concept known as “herd immunity” or “community immunity.” Simply put, when a person is vaccinated, they prevent disease from being spread to others in the community, including:
   • Babies too young to receive vaccines
   • Pregnant women who are not immune
   • The elderly who are not immune
   • Individuals with weakened immune systems, such as those with asthma, chronic illness, or undergoing treatment for cancer, including some of your children’s fellow students.
   • Individuals who can’t vaccinate because they are allergic to vaccine components
3. Vaccines are cost effective. Not only do vaccines save lives, they save money, too. It is always cheaper to prevent a disease than to treat it.
4. Vaccines are safe.
5. The risks of natural infection outweigh the risks of immunization for every recommended vaccine. Parents who choose not to vaccinate often do so to avoid risk, but choosing not to vaccinate can be the riskier choice.