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Across the state, 40 people were diagnosed with measles in January, and there have been at 186 cases since October, with the largest number of cases in Rockland, state health officials said.
Officials said, "false fears" of a link to autism, and the religious exemption has allowed the disease to re-emerge when it was once considered eradicated just 18 years ago.
The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, D-Bronx, which would do away with all non-medical exemptions, received a boost this week when it was supported by Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan.
"Sustaining a high vaccination rate among school children is vital to the prevention of disease outbreaks, including the reestablishment of diseases that have been largely eradicated in the United States, such as measles," the bill states.
Locally, the outbreak began in late September, early October when visitors to and from Israel contracted the disease. Since then Rockland County health officials have worked to encourage vaccinations within in the Orthodox Jewish community in New Square, Spring Valley, and Monsey, health officials said.
In an effort to stop the spread of the illness, the Health Department and partners have provided more than 16,000 vaccinations.
Measles symptoms include a fever, rash, cough, conjunctivitis (red watery eyes) or a runny nose. People are considered infectious from four days before to four days after the appearance of the rash. Symptoms usually appear 10-12 days after exposure but may appear as early as seven days and as late as 21 days after exposure.
Free MMR vaccines are available by calling 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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