MURRAY, Utah (AP) - Officials have temporarily closed a charter school in Murray, Utah after more than a dozen cases of whooping cough were reported, about 30 unvaccinated students were quarantined and parents kept hundreds of other students home.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports (https://bit.ly/2oaRMbQ) the American International School of Utah, a public charter school, closed Friday, five days after the first pertussis case was reported.
School operations director Kelly Casaday said a weeklong spring break was already scheduled for next week. Classes will resume April 17.
Salt Lake County Health Department spokesman Nicholas Rupp says about 89 percent of the school’s 1,400 students are vaccinated. That’s below the 92 to 95 percent that health experts recommend to protect a community.
State law allows parents to exempt children from immunizations for medical or religious reasons or a personal opposition to vaccination.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, https://www.sltrib.com
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