Community due well done

The residents of the Mat-Su Valley, along with hard-working staff and volunteers for the school district, Valley Hospital and other assisting groups, are all due some congratulations and a well done.

Today is the official deadline for students who are attending public school classes to have their second measles vaccination. There are some limited exceptions, including religious reasons. But for the most part, students must have the shots to attend school.

The response to public service announcements and stories about the need to have children vaccinated against measles have been heartening. While not everyone has yet complied, a very large percentage have.

There would seem little doubt that this response by parents and guardians to protect their children has had a very positive effect. There have been no documented cases of measles in the Valley. Likely that would not have been the case without the vaccination program and related public awareness.

Once, measles were regarded as a relatively harmless childhood disease. Now we know better. The side effects and after-effects can be devastating even fatal. But with that knowledge has come the medical science to prevent the disease. And, thanks to the cooperation from so many individuals and public and private agencies, the knowledge and science has been effectively applied.

We congratulate everyone involved.