[Spring Valley, New York, October 3, 2018]. On Motzei Shabbos Chol Hamoed Succos, Refuah Health Center (Refuah) treated a patient with a confirmed case of measles. The patient flew into New York from Israel early Friday morning. Measles is a highly contagious disease which manifests itself with a high fever and a splotchy rash. Refuah is leading the effort through multiple channels to contain an outbreak of this disease.

On Wednesday, October 3, 2018, Refuah hosted a live teleconference with more than 260 participants in attendance in response to measles-related concerns raised by patients. Cathy Zikorus, Family Nurse Practitioner at Refuah Health Center, fielded questions from numerous callers regarding the disease and what can be done to prevent an outbreak. On Thursday, October 4, 2018, Refuah deployed two of its medical mobile units into Monsey and New Square, specifically to accommodate appointments for bochurim who were on their bein hazmanim schedule.

Refuah urges all patients to check their medical records to ensure they and their families are properly immunized. Individuals who are not immunized or unsure of their vaccination history are urged to contact their primary care provider. An MMR vaccine provides the most effective protection against measles, even if administered up to 72 hours after exposure. When an individual receives the required two doses of the vaccine, they have greater than 97% protection from contracting the disease.

Refuah is offering vaccinations at all of its locations. As always, keeping our community healthy is of foremost concern to Refuah. We will continue monitoring the situation and provide updates to the community as they are available. For the most up-to-date information, please visit Refuah’s website at www.refuahhealthcenter.com.