Dear Parents and Guardians,

I want to inform you about the recent measles outbreaks occurring in various communities. Although the majority of cases have been in Texas, there was a recent case in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. 

Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can cause serious complications, including pneumonia, brain swelling, and even death, especially in young children and those with weakened immune systems.

What You Need to Know:

• Measles spreads easily—one infected person can expose nearly everyone around them who is not immune.
• Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash that spreads over the body.
• Complications can be severe, leading to hospitalization and long-term health issues.
• Unvaccinated students may need to stay home if a measles case occurs in our school to prevent further spread.

What You Can Do:

 Check your child’s vaccination status. The MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine is safe and highly effective at preventing measles. If your child is not yet vaccinated, talk to their healthcare provider about getting protected. The MMR vaccine remains the best protection against measles. Unvaccinated people are 10 times more likely to get measles than those who are fully vaccinated.  Keeping vaccination rates high helps protect the entire community, especially those who can’t be vaccinated due to medical reasons.

 Watch for symptoms. If your child develops a fever, rash, or other symptoms, keep them home and contact your doctor before visiting a clinic to avoid exposing others.

 Follow school and public health guidelines. If there is a measles case in our school, we will work with health officials to provide updates and take necessary precautions.

Our priority is keeping all students and staff safe and healthy. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. Thank you for your cooperation in protecting our school community.

Sincerely,

Nurse Bonnie