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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday urged residents of the city – especially Orthodox Jews – to vaccinate their children. Indeed, one of the city's largest measles outbreaks continues to develop, almost exclusively in the Jewish neighborhoods of Brooklyn.
"As a father, I urge all parents – especially in our Orthodox Jewish community – to vaccinate our children," he said. tweeted. "Measles is very contagious and can be very serious and fatal. The vaccine is safe and effective. Please protect your family and neighbors. "
The City's Department of Health and Mental Health said Thursday it has confirmed 121 cases of measles in Orthodox Brooklyn since October, a significant increase from the 55 cases reported in January.
The first cases of the epidemic came from infected people from Israel, the United Kingdom or Ukraine. Most of the cases in the city are confined to the highly orthodox neighborhoods of Boro Park and Williamsburg. The Ministry of Health said 21 of the last 31 cases reported were related to a single yeshiva in Williamsburg.
The leading Orthodox rabbis and political leaders have urged community members to vaccinate, but many people, including some rabbis, still adhere to the false theories that vaccines are the cause of autism or are otherwise in poor health.
Related epidemics have also spread to Orthodox enclaves in upstate New York State. The Forward announced in January that since September, 116 cases of measles had been reported in two counties in the north of the state.
Contact Aiden Pink at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aidenpink
This story "De Blasio urges the Orthodox to vaccinate against measles" was written by Aiden Pink.
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