At least 285 people have contracted measles in New York City in an outbreak that is 'very, very troubling,' Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said Tuesday.
By Lena H. Sun , Lena H.
“We cannot allow this dangerous disease to make a comeback here in New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday. “We have to stop it now.” Officials said it will be enforced primarily by tracing the contacts of everyone diagnosed. The health department will investigate where each person has gone while contagious, and all the people they may have interacted with. If investigators find an unvaccinated child who could have been exposed to measles, that child’s parents could face a violation and be subject to fines, officials said.
“I support DeBlasio for doing that,” he said, referring to the order. “I believe you have to follow the doctors because the doctors are the experts.” In addition, a misinformation campaign, including phone calls, voice mails and pamphlets has targeted the community, say health officials and immunization advocates. One widely distributed booklet not only cites various rabbis questioning the obligation to vaccinate children, but also advances anecdotes and statistics in an attempt to connect vaccinations to physical harm and death.
The last time city public health officials relied on mandatory vaccinations also involved a religious community in a far more virulent measles outbreak that swept the country in 1991. In Philadelphia, health officials sought a court order to force parents at two congregations to vaccinate their children. The outbreak was centered in the Faith Tabernacle Congregation, which “did not believe in either immunizations or medical care,” according to Robert Ross, in a 2015 interview with NPR.
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