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Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law Thursday that removes non-medical exemptions from vaccination requirements in schools. The law comes into effect immediately, said his office.
"While I understand and respect religious freedom, our first job is to protect public health and, by signing this measure, we will help prevent new transmissions and stop this epidemic," he said.
"We are dealing with a public health emergency that requires immediate action," said Senator Brad Hoylman, sponsor of the Senate bill, during the vote.
New York has become the epicenter of a measles outbreak in the United States that is now nine months old. More than 800 people in New York became ill and New Yorkers infected people in four other states.
The states that reported cases to the CDC are as follows: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada , New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
With respect to the new legislation, "it's a big step forward in protecting public health here in New York," said Ed Day, a Rockland County executive, in a statement. written declaration. His county is among those with the highest number of measles cases in the state.
"This law should lead to a substantial increase in immunization rates and better protection for our most vulnerable residents: infants, immunocompromised people and those with legitimate medical problems." As Rockland is the epicenter of The current outbreak of measles, we greatly value advocacy and local efforts have been heard and recognized, "he said.
Most cases in New York were recorded in orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and Queens, where vaccination rates were low.
New York health authorities say they have faced formidable challenges to stem the epidemic: anti-vaxers that specifically targeted the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community of the state, bombarding them with lies about the fact that vaccines cause autism.
"We are now fighting not only against the vector of the measles virus, but also against the anti-vaxers, and this message – this insidious message – is just as exciting as the world's most contagious virus." Dr. Oxiris Barbot, Commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene of New York City.
Health authorities in New York face an additional challenge: ultra-Orthodox Jews travel frequently to Israel and Europe, where more than 100,000 measles cases were recorded this year.
When asked if she thought the epidemic would end in the fall in order to maintain intact the status of measles elimination in the country, Barbot did not answered.
"We work every day, day and night, to spread the message that vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to protect families and communities," she said.
Elizabeth Cohen, John Bonifield and Debra Goldschmidt of CNN contributed to this report.
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