OXFORD, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Oxford Area High School in Chester County is closed Friday because of a confirmed case of measles.
Superintendent David Woods said in a letter that the confirmed case is “associated with the school community.” He did not specifically say if it was a student or a staff member who tested positive.
Deep cleaning and disinfection of the building have been completed.
Woods said the district already has student vaccination records, but, as directed by the Chester County Health Department, school officials still need to verify staff immunization records.
Todd Anderson, an arts and media teacher, said a staff Zoom meeting was scheduled for Friday morning. He was concerned about proving that he was vaccinated.
“How do we find this out? I was vaccinated in ’71,” Anderson said. “Because if we don’t have these records on file, we can’t open the school back up.”
The health department will contact those who may have been exposed.
Woods said those who have not been vaccinated or cannot prove that they have been vaccinated “CAN NOT attend school or school functions and must be quarantined 21 days from school and all school functions.”
The confirmed case and closure of Oxford Area High School come as Pennsylvania is at the center of the worst measles outbreak in the country in decades. There have been nearly 1,100 cases in the state this year, according to the state Health Department. About 8% of cases are in Chester County, the most of any Philadelphia collar county.
At least five measles-related deaths, including two infants, have been reported in Pennsylvania.
School district reviewing vaccination records for students and staff
School district reviewing vaccination records for students and staff
