Quarantine challenged amid North Carolina chickenpox outbreak

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The largest outbreak of chickenpox in North Carolina since the vaccine was introduced in 1995 has prompted a legal challenge.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that two of the 104 quarantined Asheville Waldorf School students challenged the Nov. 1 order, saying it violated their civil liberties.

The three-week quarantine applied to unvaccinated children and offered their parents a choice: vaccinate the children, prove they're immune to the virus or keep them away from others. Buncombe County Health and Human Services Medical Director Jennifer Mullendore says it's unusual that the majority of Asheville Waldorf parents chose quarantine.

[ALSO READ: 11-year-old boy suffers stroke after complications with chickenpox]

Last Thursday, a judge struck a portion of the order, ruling that the county had the authority to keep children out of school but couldn't prevent them from leaving home. The quarantine order expired Tuesday.

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Associated Press