Emmons reports positive case of chicken pox

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Jane Schmitz, Urban and Environmental Policy professor and Public Health advisor, speaks about the student chickenpox case at Occidental College in Los Angeles on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. Bella Fabiani/The Occidental

Emmons Wellness Center released an email Sept. 5 notifying students and faculty of a single positive case of chickenpox. Senior Director Sara Semal, who sent the email, stated that the case was isolated and that Emmons is working to treat it and actively prevent a potential outbreak on campus. The college’s vaccination policy states that vaccination for chickenpox — also known as the varicella-zoster virus — is recommended but not required to enroll as a student. The college’s vaccination policy also allows students to decline other required vaccinations for religious or other reasons if they sign a waiver.

Semal said that because chickenpox is highly contagious, Emmons staff does everything within their power to prevent further cases from developing among the larger campus community. She also said that this is an isolated case that is being handled using the steps outlined by the Centers For Disease Control (CDC).

“There was not a chickenpox outbreak on campus. Rather, we at Emmons became aware of one case of chicken pox,” Semal said via email.

Ann Martella, a physician’s assistant at Occidental College, said that the information sent out in the email is Emmons’ way of informing those on campus about the case and steps people can take to keep themselves healthy. This process includes providing pertinent information about how Emmons is handling the situation.

“In general, Emmons’ goal is to try to prevent outbreaks of illness. If Emmons becomes aware of a vaccine-preventable illness on campus, we will work to isolate the incident and, depending on the illness, take action to contact those who may have been exposed,” Martella said.

According to public health professor Jane Schmitz, Emmons’ approach to dealing with cases of highly infectious diseases, such as chickenpox, follows Occidental specific policies and a strict set of guidelines set in place by the CDC.

“The first step is what Occidental is already doing, which is identifying whether it actually is a case of chickenpox,” Schmitz said. “The next step is notifying the community of a single case of chickenpox. And then I’m sure what is happening behind the scenes is that this person has been isolated during the time when they are infectious.”

After those steps are taken, Emmons’ general policy for infectious cases like this remains focused on surveillance. According to Schmitz, watchful waiting for new cases is an important part of public health. As of yet, there have not been any more cases. If there was another occurrence, Emmons would perform more active surveillance to identify and isolate them, according to Schmitz.

Martella said that in the event of an outbreak, Emmons coordinates with on-campus and off-campus resources including the Dean of Students, Residential Education and Housing Services, the CDC and the Los Angeles County Public Health Department.

All first-year students accepted to Occidental College are required to submit an immunization record signed by their primary care physician prior to attending. The record includes a list of required and recommended vaccines. The college’s policy allows students to opt-out of mandatory vaccinations for religious or philosophical beliefs, although they must sign a waiver that acknowledges the risks involved. According to Martella, these students are asked to leave campus in the case of a potentially life-threatening outbreak.

“The chickenpox (varicella) vaccine is currently a ‘highly recommended’ vaccine as most people have had it as part of their childhood immunization schedule, but it is not currently a requirement to attend Occidental,” Martella said.

According to Martella, the non-mandatory policy for the varicella vaccine is similar to other higher-education institutions. This fact means that unvaccinated students are at risk of contraction from someone with the virus, which is why Emmons recommends that all students check their immunization status and receive vaccinations if they have not already done so, Martella said.

Despite not being required, Martella said that Emmons strongly recommends people receive a two-dose varicella vaccination series before coming to college. Emmons provides vaccination services for most vaccines, including chicken pox, and can also provide off-campus recommendations for vaccinations the school does not offer.

According to Semal, no outbreaks of a serious infectious disease have occurred at Occidental since the early 1900s. The college still deals with various less severe viruses each year.

Schultz said that students who believe themselves to be getting sick should avoid public areas and reach out for assistance until they are no longer contagious to minimize the possibility of passing their illness to others. According to the CDC, a person is contagious for about one to two days before symptoms begin until the blisters have scabbed, which typically takes a week.

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