BOSTON -- Northeastern University Wednesday decided to go ahead with its final football game of the season -- minus 19 players, including nine starters, who were barred from playing after they failed a test for immunity to measles.
One student, who is not an athlete, has been diagnosed as having the highly contagious virus, while health officials were awaiting test results to confirm two suspected cases.
The school set up three immunization centers across the Boston campus and advised all employees and students born after Dec. 31, 1956 - those under age 34 -- who have not had measles or been vaccinated to contact their personal doctor for immunization.
At least 19 Husky football players have failed to show positive antibodies for the disease in blood tests conducted at the university's health center, school officials said. Massachusetts health officials ordered those players to remain within the state for a 14-day incubation period -- thus prohibiting them from playing in Saturday's contest against James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va.
Officials considered moving the game to Northeastern's field in Brookline or forfeiting the match, but decided to play in Virginia with a reduced squad.
'We will be playing under conditions that I find hard to believe,' said Huskies coach Paul Pawlak. 'But we will honor our commitment to play, without the services of nine starters, and a total of 19 players, including both of our placekickers.'
'This is certainly a worst-case scenario for Northeastern football to be competing in,' added Irwin Cohen, director of men's athletics. 'Whatever the outcome, they (the coach and players) should be commended for their efforts in very trying times.'
The results of blood tests on several other players were not yet in, and school officials warned that the list of players prohibited from traveling might grow.
Meanwhile, the university ordered all of Northeastern's 52,000 students to either be vaccinated or to produce proof of immunization.
'Each student has to prove that they've gotten the booster or that they have verification from a physician that they are immune,' said university spokesman Tony Robinson. 'If they do not get this verification they will not receive grades from this quarter and their registration will be blocked for the next quarter.'
The university also advised pregnant women or women who suspect they may be pregnant to contact their gynecologists.
Robinson said there were no plans to cancel classes, but added 'selected indoor activities and programs have been postponed or canceled.'
Measles, which is highly contagious, especially among the young, is characterized by red spots which cover the body and is often accompanied by fever, chills and bronchitis, and can lead to pneumonia and brain infections.
Last spring, an outbreak of measles began at Siena College near Albany, N.Y., and spread to the University of Hartford and several other campuses in the Northeast.
The normally rare disease led to innoculations at many schools, caused cancellation of some classes and forced officials to play some basketball games in nearly empty arenas.
The University of Hartford closed all campus activities to the public for several weeks during the outbreak and the entire North Atlantic Conference basketball tournament was played without spectators at the Hartford Civic Center.
