Amid measles outbreak, one crucial group not required to vaccinate

LOS ANGELES (AP) — While much of the attention in the ongoing measles outbreak has focused on student vaccination, less attention has been paid to another group in the nation's classrooms: Teachers and staff members, who by and large are not required to be vaccinated.

When health officials learned a California high school employee had likely gotten sick with measles, 40 unvaccinated students were told not to come to class. So were 24 other teachers and staff members until they could prove they had been vaccinated or were immune.

In most states, there is no law dictating which vaccines teachers and school staff workers are required to get.

The issue has surfaced from time to time in state legislatures and is likely to be raised again in response to the latest outbreak.