Health district investigates chickenpox cases

MOSES LAKE — Nine chickenpox cases were reported in Moses Lake schools, the Grant County Health District reported.

The health district is investigating cases at Longivew, Lakeview Terrace, Discover and Garden Heights elementary schools, and at Moses Lake High School.

Parents are urged to check their child’s immunization records to ensure the child has two doses of the varicella vaccine, said Theresa Fuller, public information officer with the health district.

“They may only have one dose and they’re thinking their child is fully immune and they’re not,” Fuller said.

Four of the children, who contracted chickenpox, received only one dose of the vaccine. The other five children were not immunized.

Fuller said all students in ?contaminated classrooms are required to have two doses of the vaccine. 

Following Washington state law, kindergarten students are now required to have two doses of the vaccine. Each year, a new grade level is being phased in to follow the two-dose requirement.

Parents must meet requirements by doing one of the following:

• Show the date each varicella vaccine was received, on or following the child’s first birthday

• Provide physician’s diagnosis or verification the student previously had chickenpox or shingles

• Receiving a blood test showing proof of immunity to chickenpox

• Showing an exemption for medical, religious or personal reasons

“Students, who have been exempted from vaccines, as well as any others who do not demonstrate immunity, may be excluded from participating in school and school activities in order to control school-based transmission of disease,” the health district noted.

For more information, visit www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/Immunize/documents/varimplementplan.pdf.