Southernbella.
Well-Known Member
New York City on Tuesday declared a public health emergency and ordered mandatory measles vaccinations amid an outbreak, becoming the latest national flash point over refusals to inoculate against dangerous diseases.
At least 285 people have contracted measles in the city since September, and the order covers four Zip codes in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood where the vast majority have originated, Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said at a news conference.
The mandate orders allunvaccinated people in the area, including a concentration of ultra-Orthodox Jews, to receive inoculations, including for children as young as six months old. Anyone who resists could be fined up to $1,000.
“This is the epicenter of a measles outbreak that is very, very troubling and must be dealt with immediately,” de Blasio said. “The measles vaccine works. It is safe, it is effective, it is time-tested . . . the faster everyone heeds the order, the faster we can lift it.”
Added de Blasio: “We cannot allow this dangerous disease to make a comeback here in New York City. We have to stop it now.”
[Unvaccinated teens are fact-checking their parents — and trying to get shots on their own]
Some Orthodox Jews have resisted vaccines. City health officials said Monday that yeshivas inWilliamsburg, Brooklyn, that do not comply will face fines and possible closure.
Outbreaks nationwide have prompted state and city health officials to pursue tougher stances such as mandatory vaccines or banning unvaccinated children from public places.
As The Post’s Frances Stead Sellers reported, that has prompted a backlash among anti-vaccine activists spreading misinformation, and causing a decline of inoculations against one of the world’s most contagious diseases.
In New York City late last year, the health department ordered schools and child-care centers to keep out unvaccinated students. One school that violated the mandate has been linked to more than 40 cases, the health department said.
“We’re making clear that unvaccinated students will not be allowed in schools or day cares,” de Blasio said.
Insured adults and children will be covered. Those who are uninsured will pay what they can afford, de Blasio said, and those who cannot afford the vaccination will receive it free.
The outbreak in the area has been tied to a child who had not received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and contracted the disease during a trip to Israel.
“Since then, there have been additional people from Brooklyn and Queens who were unvaccinated and acquired measles while in Israel,” according to the city’s health department.
New York has contended with measles outbreaks and the legal challenges that have arisen in efforts to contain them.
An outbreak in Rockland County outside New York City led officials to ban unvaccinated children from public places in mid-March. A state judge overturned that decision 10 days later.
At least 285 people have contracted measles in the city since September, and the order covers four Zip codes in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood where the vast majority have originated, Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said at a news conference.
The mandate orders allunvaccinated people in the area, including a concentration of ultra-Orthodox Jews, to receive inoculations, including for children as young as six months old. Anyone who resists could be fined up to $1,000.
“This is the epicenter of a measles outbreak that is very, very troubling and must be dealt with immediately,” de Blasio said. “The measles vaccine works. It is safe, it is effective, it is time-tested . . . the faster everyone heeds the order, the faster we can lift it.”
Added de Blasio: “We cannot allow this dangerous disease to make a comeback here in New York City. We have to stop it now.”
[Unvaccinated teens are fact-checking their parents — and trying to get shots on their own]
Some Orthodox Jews have resisted vaccines. City health officials said Monday that yeshivas inWilliamsburg, Brooklyn, that do not comply will face fines and possible closure.
Outbreaks nationwide have prompted state and city health officials to pursue tougher stances such as mandatory vaccines or banning unvaccinated children from public places.
As The Post’s Frances Stead Sellers reported, that has prompted a backlash among anti-vaccine activists spreading misinformation, and causing a decline of inoculations against one of the world’s most contagious diseases.
In New York City late last year, the health department ordered schools and child-care centers to keep out unvaccinated students. One school that violated the mandate has been linked to more than 40 cases, the health department said.
“We’re making clear that unvaccinated students will not be allowed in schools or day cares,” de Blasio said.
Insured adults and children will be covered. Those who are uninsured will pay what they can afford, de Blasio said, and those who cannot afford the vaccination will receive it free.
The outbreak in the area has been tied to a child who had not received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and contracted the disease during a trip to Israel.
“Since then, there have been additional people from Brooklyn and Queens who were unvaccinated and acquired measles while in Israel,” according to the city’s health department.
New York has contended with measles outbreaks and the legal challenges that have arisen in efforts to contain them.
An outbreak in Rockland County outside New York City led officials to ban unvaccinated children from public places in mid-March. A state judge overturned that decision 10 days later.
This may as well just be a strong suggestion. Those people will just pay the fine.
