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As part of the declaration, unvaccinated individuals living in those ZIP codes who may have been exposed to measles will be required to receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in order to protect others in the community and help curtail the ongoing outbreak, said the Mayor's office.
Under the mandatory vaccinations, members of the City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will check the vaccination records of any individual who may have been in contact with infected patients. Those who have not received the MMR vaccine or do not have evidence of immunity may be given a violation and could be fined $1,000.
“There’s no question that vaccines are safe, effective and life-saving,” said de Blasio. “I urge everyone, especially those in affected areas, to get their MMR vaccines to protect their children, families and communities.”
This public health emergency declaration comes after the NYC Health Department issued Commissioner's Orders last week to all yeshivas and daycare programs serving the Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, doubling down on their order to exclude unvaccinated students or face violations and possible closure, first announced in December.
Now any school out of compliance will immediately be issued a violation and could be subject to closure, the Mayor's office said.
To date, 285 cases have been confirmed since the beginning of the outbreak in October, with many of the new cases being confirmed in the last two months.
The vast majority of cases are children under 18 years of age (246 cases), and 39 cases are adults. Most of these measles cases were unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated individuals. There have been no deaths associated with this outbreak, although there have been complications, including 21 hospitalizations and five admissions to the intensive care unit.
“As a pediatrician, I know the MMR vaccine is safe and effective," said New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. "This outbreak is being fueled by a small group of anti-vaxxers in these neighborhoods. They have been spreading dangerous misinformation based on fake science."
In February, the Department expanded vaccination recommendations for providers serving the Orthodox Jewish community to include an early, extra dose of the MMR vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months to 11 months who live in Williamsburg and Borough Park.
The CDC reported this week that 465 cases have been confirmed in 19 states in 2019, the second-highest total since measles was declared eliminated.
"We cannot ignore the number of people becoming sick from the Measles in New York," said State Sen. David Carlucci, who represents most of Rockland as well as Ossining and Briarcliff Manor. "This is an ‘all hands on deck’ situation. The decision to declare a public health emergency in New York City is the right one, and it is time we act at the state level and end non-medical exemptions."
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