Glendale’s Community Newspaper
www.glendalestar.com
Vol. 75 No. 18
INSIDE
This Week THE VOICE OF BUSINESS
VOICE............ 17
SPORTS ........ 23 Former Cactus softball player battling rare disorder
YOUTH .......... 27
23 Glendale schools at risk for measles outbreak BY JORDAN HOUSTON Glendale Star Staff Writer
At a time when state vaccination rates are on the decline, 66 elementary schools in the West Valley are at risk for a measles outbreak. Using data from the Arizona Department of Health Services, The Glendale Star found that 66 schools in Avondale, Buckeye, Glendale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Peoria and Tolleson have less than 95% of their kindergartners vaccinated for Measles Mumps Rubella. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says coverage rates below that number no longer protect those who can’t be vaccinated — such as babies, people with certain medical conditions and preg-
nant women. Glendale has the highest number of atrisk schools with 23, followed by Peoria, 19; Goodyear, eight; Buckeye, seven; Avondale, five; Litchfield and Tolleson tie with two schools each. While public schools make up the majority of at-risk schools, charter schools have the highest rates of vaccine exemptions. The non-district schools make up the bulk of schools with coverage rates 85% or below the safety threshold. Some of the larger charter schools with immunization rates below the threshold include Legacy Traditional-Peoria and Candeo Schools, both of which have more than 70 kindergartners. Will Humble, executive director of the
Women’s crisis shelter expands meal program
Glendale Prep junior gets perfect ACT score
BY ANDREA ESTRADA
OPINION ................... 12
A New Leaf Faith House Women’s Crisis Shelter, the longest-standing donation-based shelter in Glendale, is expanding its meal and nutritional program to provide women and children in crisis situations — including domestic violence, human trafficking and homelessness — with warm, healthy, home-cooked meals. The program will provide the women and children staying at the shelter with fresh food on Saturdays and Sundays, said Susan Loper, volunteer coordinator at Faith House.
FEATURES ................ 14 RELIGION.................. 16 SPORTS .................... 23 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT .... 26 YOUTH ...................... 27 BUSINESS ................ 28 CLASSIFIEDS............ 30
May 2, 2019
Arizona Public Health Association, who has been studying vaccination rates in Arizona since he was the head of the state health department in 2009, said the statistics illustrate a common theme. “There are a couple of trends we’ve seen in Arizona over the years,” Humble said. “One in general is that it’s the higher income families with higher educational levels — both parents have college degrees and an income of over $100,000 — that are the ones we see choosing not to vaccinate. Not because of bad access to care but just because they decided not to.” Humble no longer works with the department, and continues to research and lobby for pro-vaccine legislation through the APHA. SEE MEASLES PAGE 3
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