New York City has declared a public health emergency over the measles outbreak. The Mayor of the city, Bill de Blasio, said people in impacted areas will face fines of up to $1,000 if they fail to get vaccinated or fail to vaccinate their children.
The Mayor also announced that schools in these areas that permitted the attendance of unvaccinated students could be fined and closed.
The measles outbreak is centered in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where vaccination rates among Orthodox Jews are low. Two hundred eighty-five measles cases have been confirmed in New York City since last year.
On Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “the only way to stop this outbreak is to ensure that those who have not been vaccinated get the vaccine.”
The Centers for Disease Control reported 465 cases of measles so far this year.
Photo: “Nahaufnahme von in Ampulle gestochener Spritze für Injektion” by Marco Verch is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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