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Major chicken pox outbreak spreads in western North Carolina

"People used to think of chicken pox as a rite of passage, nowadays we think of it as an opportunity missed to be better vaccinated," explained Dr. Ellen Rome.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The chicken pox virus that affected at least 37 students at a private school in Asheville is spreading.

The Asheville Citizen Times reported four new cases, but it's unclear whether they are parents or strangers that students came in contact with.

“People used to think of chicken pox as a rite of passage, nowadays we think of it as an opportunity missed to be better vaccinated,” explained Dr. Ellen Rome.

110 of the 152 students who attend Asheville Waldorf School do not have the chicken pox vaccine; most parents have claimed religious exemptions.

RELATED: School with major chickenpox outbreak has high vaccination exemption rate

State numbers show kindergartners at hundreds of schools across North Carolina, 230 of them local, failed to receive required immunizations during the first 30 days of school last year. It is a requirement by law to prevent the spread of infection.

RELATED: CMS schools fall short when it comes to kindergarten shots

In most cases, the chicken pox will go away after a few weeks. But doctors have seen it lead to pneumonia, inflammation issues, and in rare cases even death.

"In reality, this is a community issue and so these people then go out into the world. They go to the grocery store, they go to the library, they go to schools where there is likely to be an immune-compromised person, and now you're risking not only the health of your own child but the public health,” Dr. Lindsay Diamond said.

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