As students head back to school in the Grand Valley, another unwelcome guest also makes a return.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that causes symptoms such as high fever, rash, cough and red eyes. Additionally, it can lead to life-threatening complications like brain inflammation and pneumonia. According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), the best way to prevent measles is through vaccination.
According to Grand Junction High School nurse Mel McConnell, there is currently no active threat to GJHS. If you are sick or feel sick, it’s recommended to stay home until no symptoms or fever remain in order to prevent the transfer of disease.
Although the measles vaccine is required for students entering the school system, parents can file an exemption due to medical or personal reasons such as religion. However, this is not recommended by the CDC as the vaccine is proven to reduce the risk of contracting the highly contagious disease.
“If we’re close to a 90% immunization rate on campus where 90% of our students have the shot, the contracting and the spread [of measles] should be really minimal,” said McConnell.
According to the Mesa County Public Health Department there have been two confirmed cases of measles in Grand Junction as of Aug. 22. In these cases, approximately 10 locations were visited by people who were infected with measles. So far there are no confirmed cases in District 51 schools.
According to the CDC, the measles vaccine was developed in 1963 with the intention of fully eradicating the disease in the United States. However, there are still small outbreaks due to the unvaccinated population of people residing in the US.
