NYC orders mandatory vaccines in case of measles outbreak

NEW YORK – New York City on April 9 declared a public health emergency as a result of a measles outbreak in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and ordered mandatory vaccination in the neighborhood.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced this unusual order when he spoke of a measles crisis in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, where more than 250 people have been infected with measles since September. Officials attributed this epidemic to "anti-vaxxers" spreading false information.

The order applies to anyone living, working or going to school in four neighborhood postcodes and requires all unvaccinated persons exposed to the virus to be vaccinated, including children over 6 months of age. .

The city can not legally force anyone to be vaccinated, but officials said people who ignore it could be fined $ 1,000. The city said it would help all recipients of the order to get vaccinated if they could not get it quickly through their usual medical provider.

"If people just want to cooperate quickly, no one will have to pay a fine," de Blasio said.

According to officials, 285 cases of measles have been confirmed in New York since the beginning of the epidemic, the largest in the city since 1991.

New York City accounted for about two-thirds of all measles cases reported in the United States last week.

Dr. Oxiris Barbot, the city's health commissioner, said that the majority of religious leaders in major Orthodox communities in Brooklyn support vaccination efforts, but rates have remained low in some areas because of resistance from some people. groups who believe that vaccinations are dangerous.

The law authorizes the commissioner to issue such orders in cases where they may be necessary to protect against a serious threat to public health.

Earlier this week, the city ordered religious schools and daycares serving this community to exclude unvaccinated students or risk being closed.

Another Jewish religious community, located north of the city, but with close ties to Brooklyn, has also experienced a resurgence, with at least 166 cases since October. Last week, a state judge blocked the Rockland County authorities' attempt to end measles by banning unvaccinated children from traveling to public places.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all children receive two doses of measles vaccine. He says the vaccine is 97% effective.