Amid a handful of measles outbreaks nationwide, Seattle Public School officials say students shouldn't come back to school after winter break if they don't have state-required vaccinations.
The announcement was sent in a letter to nearly 2,300 students in the district. It asks them to come with updated medical records proving they got the mandatory vaccinations.
The CDC says between Jan. 1 and Dec. 5 2019, there were nearly 1,300 confirmed cases of the measles in 31 U.S. states. The agency said it's the greatest number of cases in the country since 1992.
The Washington State Department of Health said — as of Nov. 21 — at least 87 cases of the measles had been reported there. And although the state does allow religious and medical exemptions from vaccines, a law that went into effectin July doesn't let people forgo vaccinations because of personal preference.
Seattle Public School officials say students who don't come to school with updated vaccinations will have unexcused absences. The school district is offering free immunization clinics to help families meet requirements before school resumes.
