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Under the countywide state of emergency, which went into effect on Wednesday, March 27, anyone who is under 18 years of age and unvaccinated against the measles will be barred from public places until the declaration expires in 30 days or until they receive the MMR vaccination.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day says that although police will not be stopping people asking for vaccination records, parents can be fined up to $500 and face the misdemeanor charge under the emergency declaration. Those found to be in violation will be referred to the Rockland County District Attorney's Office, he added.
"This is an opportunity for everyone in our community to do the right thing for their neighbors and come together," said Day. "We must do everything in our power to end this outbreak and protect the health of those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and that of children too young to be vaccinated."
An anti-vaccination rally at the Palisades Center in West Nyack on Thursday, March 28, only drew about 10 people. The group had advertised the event on Facebook called "Rockland County — Unvaccinated Civil Disobedience."
Several of the protestors said the ban unfairly singled out the Orthodox Jewish community, where most of the county's measles cases have been located and where the outbreak began.
The outbreak began at the end of September 2018, after an international traveler arrived in Rockland County with a suspected case of the measles. Since then there have been 156 confirmed cases of measles, presently clustered in eastern Ramapo including New Square, Spring Valley, Monsey.
For information on free clinics, or the measles, contact the Rockland County Department of Health at 845-364-2497 or 845-364-2520 to schedule an appointment to get a free MMR vaccine at the Pomona health complex.
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