VAN BUREN (KFSM) – Several students were held out from school Thursday in Van Buren after a chickenpox case prohibited them from coming to class. All of the cases are likely to be resolved by Friday, according to the school district.
School officials found out Wednesday a Butterfield Trail Middle School student had contracted chickenpox. New Arkansas regulations state any non-vaccinated students potentially exposed to chickenpox must be kept out of school for at least 21 days, unless they receive the needed vaccines.
Of the 682 students enrolled at the middle school, 45 had not received their second varicella vaccine as required. School district staff and administrators worked quickly Wednesday to contact all of the students’ parents to notify them of the situation.
By Thursday, nearly all of the potentially-affected students either received their necessary vaccines or were scheduled to receive them Friday. About two-thirds of the 45 students received their vaccines by Thursday, according to the Van Buren School District.
A school district administrator said the Crawford County Health Department staff stepped up to help resolve the issue by quickly offering the vaccines needed.
