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By Victoria Merlino
The city's health department temporarily shut down a Flushing school Monday amid an unprecedented measles outbreak in recent US history.
the city announced that she had shut down the Central Queens Yeshiva because the school did not comply with a Ministry of Health order prohibiting unvaccinated persons from staying for 21 days as a result of known exposure to measles.
The Central Queens Yeshiva, located at 147-37 70th Road, is the ninth school temporarily closed due to exposure to measles, according to the Department of Health. The other eight are in Brooklyn. The 498 confirmed cases of measles since the beginning of the outbreak in Brooklyn in October 2018.
The school's lawyer, John Farrell, said he understood the precaution, but said at the Eagle there was no case of measles among the students of the school.
"We recognize that they are trying to contain the epidemic," Farrell said.
Exposure to measles at Yeshiva – which serves children from infancy to 8th grade – was limited to a single external salesperson who went to school after being exposed to the measles virus, said Farrell.
The Ministry of Health reviewed the records of the majority of the school's approximately 1,000 active students and found that they were properly vaccinated, Farrell added. The school is still waiting for an audit of documents submitted by less than 10 students.
Farrell said the Yeshiva would apply new requirements for measles immunization to students no later than the beginning of the fall semester of 2019.
"This is a difficult time for our students and their families, as well as for the Yeshiva, its staff and Ministry of Health inspectors, who work tirelessly to complete the review as soon as possible to ensure a quick reopening of the Yeshiva, "he said.
The school was confident that she would reopen some time this week, Farrell said.
Of the nearly 500 confirmed cases of measles in New York, 399 were from four Williamsburg postal codes.
"A small number of cases have occurred outside these neighborhoods but have not, so far, resulted in continued transmission of measles," said the health ministry in a statement.
"In order to prevent outbreaks in new areas of the city, we need parents to vaccinate their children and schools to exclude children who are not up to date with the measles vaccine. We continue to urge unvaccinated New Yorkers to be vaccinated against measles as soon as possible, "Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot said in a statement.
"Exhibitions outside the Williamsburg area did not result in sustainable transmission because of the relatively high vaccination rates in the affected communities," said Barbot. "Maximizing the number of people up to date with their measles vaccine is the best way to protect our communities."
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