Measles outbreak: parents sue, New York City closes school

WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn (WABC) – A parent group has filed a lawsuit against New York City in the midst of the measles outbreak, while health ministry officials have announced the closure of the outbreak. a child care program for refusing access to medical records.

Parents, who abide by the Brooklyn Postcodes covered by Mayor Bill de Blasio 's Public Health Emergency Statement, are asking for a temporary prohibition order to prevent mandatory vaccinations from taking effect.

The lawsuit filed against the New York City Health Department called the "emergency order" arbitrary and capricious "and the measures it requires" in a radical manner ".

The order requires that all persons over 6 months of age who live, work or attend a school in accordance with the specified Williamsburg postal code be vaccinated.

Parents who sue argued that "there was not enough evidence of a measles epidemic or a dangerous epidemic to justify" forced vaccinations, and they accused the city of failing to take the least restrictive measures to end the epidemic.

At the same time, the Ministry of Health announced the closure of the United Talmudical Academy, located at 75 Ross Street, Williamsburg, for "repeatedly failing to provide access to medical records and health records." 39, assistance, in violation of an order of the health commissioner. "

The ordinance requires that child care programs exclude unvaccinated students and staff, maintain medical records and on-site attendance and allow health officials immediate access to information.

Officials said the academy had not given access to these records, which prevented them from determining if the school was excluding children and staff.

Health officials said they would monitor the school to ensure that it was following the closing order and that the center would not be allowed to reopen before its staff submitted a corrective action plan approved by the department.

"These outbreaks should not happen," said Acting Mayor Herminia Palacio. "We should not have a measles epidemic in the US Period, period."

In declaring a public health emergency, Mr de Blasio described measles as a "very serious situation" and underlined the "danger of this disease and how highly infectious it is".

The postcodes involved are heavily populated by Orthodox Jews and the mayor has sought to vaccinate everyone before people go to Passover, which begins Friday.

"To ensure a good holiday, we must make sure that people are protected," Blasio said.

Under this ordinance, members of the City's Department of Health and Mental Health will check the vaccination record of any person who may have been in contact with infected patients. The city can not legally force anyone to be vaccinated, but people who have not received the MMR vaccine or who do not have proof of immunity may be violated and a fine of $ 1,000.

This order raises questions about the legality of the prescription of vaccines and the director general of the New York Civil Liberties Union, Donna Lieberman, issued the following statement:

"The Public Health Act authorizes the city to take measures to deal with public health emergencies by confining and isolating the affected people.Its order provides that people will be vaccinated without their consent, an extreme measure not provided for in the law. forced medical treatment.The government is obliged to seek the least restrictive means possible to balance individual autonomy with the risk to public health.In this case, measures such as quarantine or sanctions in case of non-vaccination may be permissible, but forced vaccination is not. "

There have been 329 cases since the beginning of the epidemic last October, although the number of current cases is not clear. There have been no deaths and only three measles-related deaths in the last two decades, but health officials said that there had been complications in the epidemic currently, including 25 hospitalizations.

In addition, 23 yeshivas and daycare programs received a notice of violation for failing to follow the school exclusion order. The United Talmudical Academy is the first program to be closed.

For more information on the MMR vaccine, call 311 or CLICK HERE.

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