Few students in public schools not vaccinated for measles

Less than two percent of the students at some of the area’s biggest public school districts have not been vaccinated for the measles, but it’s nearly 4 percent in the area’s largest district.

Some parents cite religion, autism concerns for skipping vaccines

Parents who choose not to have their children vaccinated say its their right to do so.

Some parents cite religious reasons. Others cite concerns that the vaccines lead to autism.

Students typically have to cite a religious or medical reason not to get a vaccine from the major childhood illnesses of measles, mumps and rubella. Missouri does allow a philosophical exemption, while Kansas does not.

KCTV5 contacted area districts to determine how many students haven’t received the vaccine that covers the measles. This comes after outbreaks across the country that started at Disneyland in California. Officials announced Thursday that five infants at a Chicago area daycare have measles and other children may have the virus. The infants were too young to get vaccinated.

The Kansas City Public School District said 124 of its 14,700 students, or less than 1 percent, are exempt from the vaccine requirement. In Center, it’s 2 percent of the student population while it’s 1.3 percent in Lee’s Summit. In Park Hill, 265 of 10,700 students. or 2.5 percent, aren’t vaccinated. It’s less than 1 percent in Liberty.

In the Kansas City, KS, School District, 124 are exempted out of 14,700 students or 1 percent. In Olathe, slightly more than 1 percent of students aren’t vaccinated.

The largest percentage of exempt students are in the area’s largest district. Shawnee Mission School District said 3.6 percent of its 27,481 students are exempt.

Other districts did not respond for a request for information.

Health officials encourage parents to ensure their children to get vaccinated unless they have a medical reason or are too young to do so.

“It is one of, if not the most contagious illnesses that we know of,” said Jeff Hershberger of the Kansas City Health Department. “If somebody with measles coughs in a room and leaves for up to two hours after that if somebody walks into that room they are exposed.”

The incubation period is 21 days for measles and you can be contagious before you exhibit symptoms.

As of 15 years ago, vaccinations had eradicated the disease almost completely in the United States, but it’s coming back and largely because of travel. Last year, there was an outbreak in Kansas and Missouri that started from a baby that had traveled overseas.

Copyright 2015 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved

Few students in public schools not vaccinated for measles