Measles Outbreak Quarantines College for Christian Scientists

Students at Principia College, a school for children of Christian Scientists where healing is left to God and immunizations are frowned upon, were restricted to the campus today because of a measles outbreak.

Health officials said 69 infected students were in isolation at the school, although other students were attending classes as usual.

The school is located near the Mississippi River, and authorities across the river in St. Louis County, Mo., asked that school employees who live in Missouri not be allowed to go to work to keep the outbreak from spreading.

The infected students were confined to a temporary infirmary set up in a building at the small college. The entire school has been quarantined since last week, when the outbreak began. Total enrollment at Principia is 712, with about 650 students living on campus.

Most of the students have refused to be vaccinated against measles, in keeping with the Christian Science belief that disease has a mental cause and has no real existence.

School spokeswoman Patty Ferber said: “We do turn to prayer for physical healing. There is no medication being administered, of course. They are completely isolated from the rest of the campus.”

Nola Kramer, administrator of the Jersey County Health Department, said 212 people on the campus received free measles vaccinations Saturday, including school employees and 183 students, despite their belief against immunizations.