Officials Confirm Chickenpox Outbreak

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Vigo County School Corporation Officials Confirmed Thursday an outbreak of chickenpox at one Terre Haute elementary school.

"Our nursing staff confirmed five cases of chickenpox at Farrington Grove, which is the definition of an "outbreak"", school officials said in a press release sent to News 10. The outbreak will force administrators to vaccinate more than 50 students.

School officials plan to work with the Indiana State Department of Health and the Vigo County School corporation to create a plan to get the students the immunizations they need. School officials say they also plan to check the health of the school's faculty and staff. "The definition of an outbreak is five or more cases under the age of 13 or three or more cases over the age of 13", said the press release. "If a child has had no shot (s) against chickenpox and parent/guardian refuses, the child will be excluded from school," said the release. "If a child has had one shot and the parent/guardian is willing to get the second dose, the child will not be excluded from school."