Bloomfield has chickenpox outbreak

An outbreak of chickenpox has been declared for Bloomfield Elementary School.

Jay School Corporation announced today that Indiana State Department of Health and Jay County Health Department have instituted outbreak control measures for Bloomfield, including the exclusion from school of any student who is not immunized against the disease.

Such measures are required by state code in the case of a chickenpox outbreak, defined as more than five cases in the same place. Thus far, eight cases of chickenpox have been confirmed at Bloomfield. The first case was reported about two weeks ago.

Jay County Health Department will provide a free chickenpox vaccine beginning today to any student who is subject to the exclusion order. Once a student has been vaccinated, he or she will be allowed to return to school immediately.

Jay Schools superintendent Jeremy Gulley said Wednesday afternoon that the exclusion involves 42 students, which is about 15 percent of Bloomfield’s enrollment.

Chickenpox typically involves a rash that turns into itchy, fluid-filled blisters. Other symptoms include fever, tiredness, loss of appetite and headache.

School nurse Sherry Welker contacted Jay County Health Department about the chickenpox cases, which is standard procedure, Gulley said. Officials then monitored the situation. The decision to take preventative measures is made by the state department of health, based on Indiana code requirements.

“They make the call on it. We don’t,” said Gulley. “But we cooperate with them, and then they make the call on an outbreak declaration, which they did today.”

Heath Butz of Jay County Health Department said other schools in the county are being monitored, but there is currently no cause for concern.

The state has a list of required immunizations, beginning with Hepatitis B, Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (whooping cough), Polio, Measles, Mumps and Rubella and Varicella (chickenpox). However, parents may sign a waiver for religious or health reasons.

At the time of signing such a waiver, parents are notified of the risks of disease and the possibility of exclusion from school, said Butz.

About three-quarters of the students affected by the exclusions are Amish, Gulley said.

He added that administrators and teachers are taking steps to help students keep up with their school work.

“Right now we’re focused on providing the support educationally we can,” Gulley said. “We’ve already assembled homework packages and test prep material for ISTEP.”

“We’re exploring the possibility of offering after school tutoring for those kids, if they can get there.”

After-school tutoring will be subject to approval by the health department.

Butz said the last record of an outbreak in Jay County involved measles in 1990. He said health department information shows about 2,000 Jay County High School, East Jay Middle School and Bloomfield students were immunized as of Jan. 25 this year.

The chickenpox vaccine became available in the United States in 1995. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are about 200,000 cases reported per year, down from about 4 million annually prior to the availability of the vaccine.

Vigo County had an outbreak of chickenpox in late 2012 that was at the time the largest in the nation at 84 cases. Fremont Elementary School in northeast Indiana had an outbreak in 2011.

For more information on the vaccines, call the health department at (260) 726-8080.