Hospital policy will prohibit children from visiting

SUFFERN –

The measles epidemic is impacting people who may or may not go to a hospital in Rockland County.

The measles outbreak prompted Good Samaritan hospital officials in Suffern to prevent children under 18, regardless of their vaccination history, from visiting hospitalized patients.

The number of measles cases in Rockland County continues to grow and now stands at 199 confirmed cases.

Officials say the policy is tied to the exclusion order issued by the county last week. This rule prohibits anyone exposed to measles or already infected with the virus from traveling to public places, including hospitals, unless treated.
Good Samaritan officials said the policy was put in place to protect patients, staff and other visitors from the spread of measles.
While some applaud the move, a future mother tells News 12 that she is upset by this policy because the hospital will not allow her son to visit her when she gives birth this summer. "My child properly vaccinated may not be able to visit his brother at the hospital because of the fact that I saw the signs.He does not allow anyone under 18 years old."

Some future mothers in the county are grateful for the caution with which the Good Samaritan is very careful.

Sheila Buchanan, of West Nyack, is a nurse in the Bronx and subscribes to Good Samaritan's policy. "People do not walk around with their vaccination cards, so it's very difficult to enforce, so we let people worry about other people that they do not even know," he said. said Buchanan.

Montefiore Nyack Hospital allows children under the age of 13 to visit on a case-by-case basis, provided they show no signs of illness.
Regional orange medical centers in Middletown and Westchester in Valhalla welcome children.