Children pulled out of schools during measles outbreak

KANIKA SINGH RATHORE,

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a fresh measles outbreak in the west texas This led to a dramatic increase in school absenteeism, which far exceeded the number Children A new study has revealed who really fell ill.

The disruption was mainly due to students They are being kept outside or housed by their families as a precaution to prevent the spread of the disease.

According to an initial Stanford University The study, which has not yet been formally peer reviewed, found absenteeism in the Seminole Independent School District — a system at the center of the outbreak — increased by 41 percent across all grade levels.

This figure has been compared with the same period of the last two yearsThe significant impact on student learning was highlighted.

Findings offer clear glimpse of widespread consequences of measles The highly infectious disease that has seen a resurgence in US communities with low vaccination rates.

at the national level, and in texasAbout two-thirds of measles cases have been identified in unvaccinated people Children,

Public health officials typically respond to outbreaks by excluding unvaccinated students. schools,

In recent years, more parents have sought relaxation of school requirements for measles vaccines, and most states are below the 95 percent kindergarten vaccination rate that experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks.

In recent years, more parents have sought relaxation of school requirements for measles vaccines, and most states are below the 95 percent kindergarten vaccination rate that experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks. ,associated Press,

Thomas Dee, an economist and education professor at Stanford who co-authored the study, said: “The cost of that absence is not just for sick kids, but for all the kids who are kept out of school as a precaution.”

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Measles, an airborne disease, poses a serious risk, especially to youth. ChildrenWhile the disease was declared eradicated in the US in 2000 due to the widespread use of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, recent years have seen an increase in the number of parents seeking school exemptions, vaccination Requirements.

As a result, most states now fall below 95 percent of kindergarten vaccination A rate experts consider necessary to stop the outbreak.

In the Seminole Independent School District, only 77 percent of kindergartners were vaccinated against measles in the 2024-2025 school year, according to state health department data.

A wave of measles there began the worst measles year in the United States in more than three decades, sickening 762 people across the country. texas In seven months.

This number could have been even higher, because texas State Health Services Department says 182 additional cases of measles reported in March 2025 Children in nearby Gaines County, which the state excluded from its count due to lack of information.

Absence extends far beyond confirmed cases of measles

Based on state data, the study estimated that 141 students in the Seminole district had confirmed cases of measles.

It found that the increase in school absenteeism was about 10 times greater than what would be expected from those students alone.

According to the study, children from preschool to first grade saw the largest increase in absenteeism — a 71 percent increase compared to the previous two school years.

According to the study, children from preschool to first grade saw the largest increase in absenteeism — a 71 percent increase compared to the previous two school years. ,AP,

State health officials recommend that people with or suspected of having measles should isolate at home for four days after the rash appears. State guidance calls for keeping unvaccinated or otherwise vulnerable students out of school for 21 days after exposure to measles.

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Children According to the study, preschool through first grade saw the largest increase in absenteeism — a 71 percent increase compared to the previous two school years.

Most student absences amid the outbreak were due to local health requirements Children Seminole Superintendent Glenn Teal said in a statement that students are required to stay out of school if they have been exposed to someone with measles.

In addition to students who were instructed to stay home, it is unclear how many families may have kept Children Stay out of school as a precaution.

But there’s a good argument that parental anxiety played a role, said Jacob Kirksey. texas Tech University education policy professor who was not involved in the study but reviewed it.

“If you’re listening to the news or you’re seeing the disease spreading widely, parents will be more hesitant to send their kids to school,” he said.

Many children in other states with outbreaks do not go to school

Outbreaks in other states, such as South CarolinaSchool absenteeism has also increased.

One-year-old River Jacobs is held by her mother, Caitlin Fuller, while she receives the MMR vaccine from Renard Covarrubio at a vaccine clinic put on by the Lubbock Public Health Department in Lubbock, Texas.

One-year-old River Jacobs is held by her mother, Caitlin Fuller, while she receives the MMR vaccine from Renard Covarrubio at a vaccine clinic put on by the Lubbock Public Health Department in Lubbock, Texas. ,getty images,

More than 165 people – including 127 students from three schools – They were in 21-day quarantine as of Tuesday because they were not vaccinated or were otherwise at risk of getting sick.

Some? Children Quarantined twice due to new cases, state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said South Carolina Public Health Department.

,vaccination This is the best way to stop the disruption that measles is causing to people’s education, employment and other factors in people’s lives in our communities, Bell said.

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Missing learning time can have long-term effects on a child’s success. schools struggling with learning loss covidThe -19 pandemic, which also contributed to high rates of chronic absenteeism.

More frequent absences also put a strain on teachers’ ability to educate their students. Kirksey said most teachers are not trained how to handle instructional pace when a large portion of their students are absent.

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