The Health Department announced today that it has identified 34 cases of measles in Brooklyn – 27 in Borough Park and 7 in Williamsburg – and is urging families to make sure all persons in the household, including young children, are vaccinated. Doctors are urged to be vigilant and promptly report suspected cases to the agency. All 34 cases involved adults or children who were not vaccinated at the time of exposure due to refusal or delays in vaccination. Some infants who are too young to be vaccinated also contracted measles after being exposed to older, unvaccinated family members. Measles is highly contagious and can spread easily to unprotected individuals through airborne transmission.
“Children should be vaccinated against measles when they are 12 months of age,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley. “Vaccinating children will protect them and help protect infants who are too young to be vaccinated by reducing their risk of exposure. Delaying a child’s vaccination increases the risk of contracting measles and infecting others.”
As many as one in three children with measles develop complications such as diarrhea, ear infection or pneumonia. Infants under one year of age, people who have a weakened immune system and non-immune pregnant women are at highest risk of severe illness and complications. Three people infected in this outbreak have had complications. People who contract the measles virus can spread the infection for four days before developing a rash, and for four days after the rash sets in.
Measles vaccination is required for admission to the City’s schools, colleges and daycare centers. The first measles vaccine dose should be given at the time of the child’s first birthday, with the second dose being administered at 4 to 6 years of age. In New York City, approximately 91.5% of children between the ages of 19 and 35 months have received at least one measles vaccine.
“This has the potential to become a serious epidemic and we commend the Health Department for their swift response in dealing with it,” said Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Boro Park Community Council. “At the same time I urge all Boro Park residents to check with their physicians, make sure all immunizations are up to date and follow any other relevant instructions so that together we can contain this outbreak.”
“It is imperative for parents to vaccinate their children against very preventable diseases such as measles, mumps or rubella,” said State Senator Simcha Felder. “There is no reason anyone – child or adult – should become ill from these or other diseases when medical science has developed a means to prevent such infections. While parents have the right to refuse to vaccinate their children, their decision cannot and should not impinge on the health and well-being of others in their schools, neighborhoods, and communities.”
“Our most precious commodities are our children – that’s what life is all about,” said Assemblyman Dov Hikind. “People need to take the dangers of this disease seriously and protect themselves and their families from tragedies that are avoidable. The measles vaccination saves lives.”
About Measles:
Measles is a viral infection characterized by a rash, fever (101 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit), cough, red eyes and runny nose. The illness typically lasts five to six days, with a rash that begins on the face and then moves down the body, including the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Complications from measles can include ear infections, diarrhea, pneumonia, miscarriage, brain inflammation, hospitalization and even death.
Protect Yourself and Your Family from Measles:
Babies should receive the first measles shot when they turn 1.
Vaccinating older children is the best way to protect children who are too young to get the shot.
If your child is over 1 year of age and has not had the measles shot, it is important to get the child vaccinated as soon as possible to prevent measles.
Two doses of measles vaccine are required for full protection. Children usually get the second measles shot at 4 to 6 years of age before going to school.
Older children and adults who have not received two measles shots may be at risk of infection.
· Vaccinations are very safe. The benefits far outweigh any risks. Side effects are usually mild, such as soreness where the shot was given.
Be sure that you and your family are fully vaccinated prior to international travel. Outbreaks are occurring in Europe, including the United Kingdom. Measles is found in many parts of the world, including Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Ask your doctor about vaccinating your children. You can also call 311 to find out where your child can be vaccinated.
For more information on measles, visit nyc.gov.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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5 Responses
This report focuses on the current measles outbreak in Williamsburg and Boro Park, two heavily frum communities. It is not clear from this report whether the current measles outbreak is disproportionately affecting the frum community, or whether the focus of the report is on frum communities because of YWN’s mission to inform the frum community of a population-wide event that is affecting frum communities as well as the general population.
Thank you to all those self proclaimed health professionals who don’t get there kids vaccinated.
Re. comment #1. The measles outbreak in Brooklyn is currently exclusively (100%) affecting members of the Orthodox Jewish communities. Although this alert states 34 reported cases, there are approximately sixty cases right now, with many hundreds more who have been exposed. In an outbreak there is a lag between officially documented and reported cases and the true, growing number of cases. The original case of this outbreak spread from England where there are constant measles outbreaks; many people in the U.K. are not vaccinated against measles. Measles is extremely contagious and spreads like wildfire in unvaccinated populations, especially where many people congregate or live together. As many as nine out of ten unvaccinated people who are exposed to a person with measles will develop measles if they do not receive a vaccination at that time. In 2007-2008 there were more than a thousand cases of measles in Jerusalem and Antwerp, Belgium in the charedi communities, which spread from the UK frum community. Hundreds of people were hospitalized. The vast majority of people in these outbreaks were not vaccinated against measles. In contrast to the mumps vaccine, the measles vaccine is extremely effective. More than 95% of fully vaccinated people should, IY’H, be protected in the event of exposure. However, children under the age of one are not eligible for the vaccine and are particularly vulnerable to infection and complications. In addition, the vaccine is extremely effective at stopping the development of the disease if given within 72 hours of exposure to the disease. People in all of our communities who are not properly vaccinated should get vaccinated against measles.
No. 3: Your information would be very helpful if you identified the sources of the information. As written, however, it is indistinguishable from the information that a radio talk-show host pulls out of thin air. Is it possible that “Dr. Fenster” is your real name, and you are the New York City Commissioner of Public Health, or the Chief Information Officer of the US Department of Health or the federal Centers for Disease Control?
No. 4: Thank you for the feedback. Here are sources for the information.
(NY Department of Health Alert #12)
https://a816-health29ssl.nyc.gov/sites/NYCHAN/Lists/AlertUpdateAdvisoryDocuments/HAN_Measles%20Update_5%2021%2013_FINAL.pdf
(CDC measles information)
– http://www.cdc.gov/measles/about/transmission.html
– Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases The Pink Book: Course Textbook – 12th Edition Second Printing (May 2012)http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/meas.html
(Measles Outbreaks in England and in the Orthodox Jewish Communities)
-Public Health England – Confirmed cases of Measles, Mumps and Rubella 1996-2012
http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1195733833790
– Public Health England – Measles cases in England: January to March 2013 http://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1317138802384
– Ashmore, J, et.al., Measles in North East and North Central London, England: A Situation Report; Eurosurveillance 12:38:20Sep2007 http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=3271
– Measles outbreaks flourish in UK years after discredited research tied measles shot to autism
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-05-20/world/39377600_1_measles-deaths-andrew-wakefield-mmr
(Measles Outbreaks in Orthodox Jewish Communities)
– Lernout T, et.al., An Outbreak of Measles in Orthodox Jewish Communities in Antwerp, Belgium, 2007-2008: Different Reasons for Accumulation of Susceptibles; Eurosurveillance 14:2:15Jan2009; Article 4 http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19087
– Lernout T, et.al., Clusters of Measles Cases in Jewish Orthodox Communities in Antwerp, Epidemiologically Linked to the United Kingdom:A Preliminary Report; Eurosurveillance 12:46:15Nov2007
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=3308
– Anis, E.,et.al., Measles in a Highly Vaccinated Society:The 2007-2008 Outbreak in Israel, Journal of Infection 59:4 October 2009, p.252-258
http://www.journalofinfection.com/article/S0163-4453(09)00201-1/fulltext (Article is available for sale. By request, I can provide the article by email.)
– Stein-Zamir, C., het.al., An Outbreak of Measles in an Ultra- Orthodox Jewish Community in Jerusalem, Israel, 2007 – An In-Depth Report; Eurosurveillance 13:1-3 Jan-Mar 2008; p.p.1–4.
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=8045
I am a private pediatrician concerned about the potential for, Ch’V, a large measles outbreak in our communities.