GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Over 30 students at an Asheville private school have the chicken pox. Asheville Waldorf School is now the home to the largest chickenpox outbreak in two decades.

  • Chickenpox is one of the required vaccinations in North Carolina but many parents around the state get a religious exemption.
  • Vonda Pabon of the Guilford County Health Department says vaccinations are for the good of both the immunized child and other kids around them.
  • More information on vaccinations and exemptions can be found here.

Chicken pox is one of the required vaccinations in North Carolina but many parents around the state get a religious exemption for their children.

Vonda Pabon of the Guilford County Health Department says vaccinations are for the good of both the immunized child and other kids around them.

"It is very important for the older kids to get their vaccines and to get their vaccines to protect the younger kids, children younger than 2 months of age. It's called herd immunity," Pabon said.

She thinks many people think they don't need the vaccinations anymore because they don't hear about the diseases like they used to.

"When parents and citizens just in general don't see the diseases often, don't recognize the diseases, don't understand the diseases and what they can do then it's out of sight out of mind. Until it happens."

Julia Herman has four children, all of whom are vaccinated. She did her research on when her children should get the shots and how they reacted to them.

One of her children is allergic to a certain vaccination, so she understands when people can't medically get them.

"It's a big deal to make sure that you're keeping your children who can't be vaccinated healthy and around healthy people," Herman said.

She understands some people don't want to vaccinate but doesn't want her children to suffer because of other's decisions.

"I just can't imagine them coming down because of something that I didn't do, that I didn't have control over. That another parent that put other children at risk just because they felt inclined not to do it."

More information on vaccinations and exemptions can be found here.

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