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Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, Rockland County Health Commissioner, provides an update on the measles outbreak in Rockland County on Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Peter Carr, [email protected]

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People enter the Refuah Health Center in Spring Valley on October 18, 2018. During the largest measles outbreak in Rockland County in the last 20 years, residents are asked to check their immunization status obtain non-immunized measles vaccine.(Photo: Seth Harrison / The News Journal)Buy a photo

There are now 15 confirmed cases of measles in Rockland and the County Health Department is investigating six more cases and offering two free vaccination clinics on Thursday and Friday.

Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, Rockland County Health Commissioner, said that the increase in the number of confirmed measles cases is due to laboratory tests confirming previously suspected cases.

Health officials did not indicate whether new or suspected cases were related to previously confirmed cases or provided patient information due to privacy laws. Most of the original exhibition sites listed by the state health department were located in Monsey and New Square, as well as in Nanuet, New City, and Montvale. , in New Jersey.

"We continue to see new cases and continue to thoroughly investigate each of them," said Ruppert. "We have received great cooperation from the community and the schools involved in my order."

Ruppert ordered unvaccinated schoolchildren to stay at home from Thursday to November 3, 21 days after the last known exposure on October 12.

"At the moment, we have not extended the period during which under-vaccinated or unvaccinated children are required to stay at home," she said. "We will inform the public as much as we can.We invite all people who are not aware of their MMR vaccines to visit one of our next clinics or to contact their health care provider directly for help contain the spread of this outbreak. "

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The clinics will take place:

  • 16.30. at 6:30 pm Thursday at Community Outreach Center in Monsey, 21 Remsen Ave. continuation 201.
  • 9:30 to 23:30 Friday at the Spring Valley Darden Center, Dr. Berg Lane.

The county plans to run more free clinics next week, Ruppert said.

Residents are invited to receive two doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and students who have not received the vaccine must stay at home, officials said. The state health ministry is legally allowed to require unvaccinated students that they stay at home in the event of an outbreak.

The county offers vaccination clinics in response to the measles outbreak that began in late September when five travelers contracted the contagious virus after leaving Israel. There is currently an epidemic in Israel with hundreds of cases of measles.

The Department of Health offers a free dose of the vaccine to unimmunized residents aged 6 months to 60 years.

Who should be vaccinated?

  • Residents born after January 1st, 1957.
  • Residents who have not already received two doses of the MMR vaccine. Children under the age of four are usually protected by one dose of the vaccine.
  • Residents who have not had a lab test confirming immunity or a doctor confirming measles.

All residents who do not know if they are protected or immunized should contact their health care provider. Health care officials also ask residents who think they have been exposed and who have measles-compatible symptoms to contact their health care provider, clinic or ward in their area before traveling. to prevent the spread of the disease.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus that is spread through direct contact with the nasal secretions or throat of infected people, according to the New York State Department of Health. This can be especially dangerous for babies, pregnant women and people who are immunocompromised.

People develop fever first, then may have a cough, a runny nose and watery eyes, followed by the appearance of a rash. People are considered infectious four to four days after the onset of the rash and symptoms usually appear 10 to 12 days after exposure, although they may appear as early as seven days or up to 21 days after.

Measles is highly contagious and can be contaminated if it is in the same room as an infected person, even up to two hours after the departure of the infected person, officials said.

For any questions about measles, call the New York State Department of Health toll-free at 888-364-4837.

Twitter: @ReporterRox

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