AS THE MEASLES SCARE HAS INCREASED WITH TWO ADDITIONAL CASES OF THE DISEASE IN ALLEGHENY COUNTY THIS WEEK, PA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH DATA HAS SHOWN THAT THREE BEAVER COUNTY AREA SCHOOLS HAVE FALLEN SIGNIFICANTLY LOW IN IMMUNIZATION RATES. NOAH’S ARK PRESCHOOL/ST STEPHEN’S KINDERGARTEN IN SEWICKLEY, THE PA CYBER CHARTER SCHOOL IN MIDLAND, AND BEAVER COUNTY CHRISTIAN WEST PARK ELEMENTAR IN WEST MAYFIELD ALL HAD RATES UNDER 90% FOR THE 2017-18 SCHOOL YEAR – WHILE OTHERS INCLUDING FREEDOM AREA ELEMENTARY, BEAVER AREA MIDDLE SCHOOL AND EDGEWORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS HAD RATES UNDER 95%. THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDS THAT ALL SCHOOLS BE AT 90-95% AT A MINIMUM IN ORDER TO REACH WHAT THEY CALL HERD IMMUNITY. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CASE REPORTED IN BEAVER COUNTY TO THIS POINT.