Dozens more New Yorkers contract measles – including two pregnant women – as health officials struggle to contain the outbreak
- Now 390 people in New York City have contracted measles, all but one of them live in four Brooklyn ZIP codes
- Officials have issued court summonses to 12 people who have refused to vaccinate
Dozens more New Yorkers have contracted measles, including two pregnant women, health officials announced on Wednesday.
The 61 fresh diagnoses have driven city’s caseload up to 390, largely confined to four ZIP codes in Brooklyn, pushing the national measles count to near-record levels.
In a bid to stem the outbreak, New York City officials issued a state of emergency two weeks ago ordering everyone – children and adults – in the designated ZIP codes to get the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.
Though more than 1,000 complied, many did not, and 12 people who refused to vaccinate have been issued court summonses, potentially facing a $1,000 fine or jail time.
The 61 fresh diagnoses have driven city’s caseload up to 390, largely confined to four ZIP codes in Brooklyn, pushing the national measles count to near-record levels
Health Commissioner Dr Oxiris Barbot said: ‘We have now identified two expectant mothers who have contracted measles.
‘These cases are stark reminders of why New Yorkers must get vaccinated against the measles as soon as possible.
‘When we do not get vaccinated, we put our friends, our relatives, our neighbors, our classmates and other fellow New Yorkers at risk. We urgently repeat our plea to every New Yorker, especially those in the affected areas – unless you have a medical condition that prohibits you from doing so, please get vaccinated.’
‘Currently, the outbreak remains intensely focused in Williamsburg where vaccination rates must continue to improve,’ said Deputy Commissioner Dr Demetre Daskalakis.
‘While we’ve seen a few cases in people out of the Orthodox Jewish community, all but one of these individuals were exposed in Williamsburg and Borough Park and none of these have resulted in sustained transmission, mainly due to the power of herd immunity afforded by the high vaccination rates outside of the Williamsburg epicenter of this outbreak.
‘There’s no reason why a healthy child or adult should not be vaccinated against measles.
‘We need to make sure that everyone who can get vaccinated, who doesn’t know their immunity status or vaccination history, gets the vaccine to protect themselves and those around them that can’t.’