Philadelphia School District hosts vaccination clinic as state measles outbreak continues
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Amid a measles outbreak in Pennsylvania, health officials in Philadelphia are holding clinics to get as many students vaccinated as possible, with the school year starting this week.
Health officials say about 70 students a day have been visiting a vaccination clinic at Benjamin Franklin High School to get up to date on their immunizations.
A classroom at the high school has been converted into a temporary vaccination clinic. With support from Dr. Ala Stanford and the Black Doctors Consortium, the district is helping students receive recommended vaccines, including protection against measles.
"We know that vaccines are safe and effective," said Dr. Kendra McDow, medical officer for the School District of Philadelphia.
The vaccination effort comes as Philadelphia, like every county in Pennsylvania, has fallen below the 95% vaccination threshold commonly associated with herd immunity for measles.
"We are seeing in real time the tragic consequences of children and adolescents not getting vaccinated," McDow said.
State data shows there have been more than 400 measles cases reported across Pennsylvania so far this year.
Although Philadelphia has not yet recorded a measles case, officials continue to encourage vaccination. The district's measles vaccination rate was 93% during the last school year.
"School just started so we are still working to make sure we are getting accurate numbers and we're verifying those numbers within our vaccination system as a district," McDow said.
The district began collecting vaccination data as students returned to school, including kindergarten students attending their first day of classes. Health officials said vaccinations help protect not only students but also vulnerable members of the community.
"Every infant in this city, in a stroller, in a car seat, at the family reunion has no protection of their own. We are their protection," Stanford said.
Doctors recommend the first dose of the measles vaccine at 12 months of age. The two-week vaccination clinic at Benjamin Franklin High School is scheduled to conclude Friday.
