CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- In a letter sent to parents, a private school said its students are no longer exempt from vaccinations, even for religious reasons.
CBS affiliate WOIO reported the letter from The Hebrew Academy of Cleveland, which said, "With the recent outbreak of the measles in various Jewish communities around the globe, including in the United States, our school's leadership took the opportunity to review our school's policies."
The move follows measles outbreaks in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and a chickenpox outbreak at a private school with high levels of religious vaccination exemptions in North Carolina. WOIO said the outbreak in New York has more than 100 cases. WCCO reported the outbreak in North Carolina has grown to be the state's largest in two decades.
"There's really no good credible science for someone not to be vaccinated," Dr. Baruch Fertel with the Cleveland Clinic told WOIO.
Dr. Fertel told WOIO that he believes some parents choose not to vaccinate their children because of popular culture, not religious reasons.
The letter from The Hebrew Academy of Cleveland said the only exemption from vaccines is for medical reasons, like if a student is allergic to a vaccine.
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