National Measles Outbreak: NY County Reaches 130 Cases
ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Rockland County picked up six more measles cases in two days, health officials reported Friday. The number of confirmed measles cases since the outbreak began in October has risen to 130, the largest in New York State in decades.
Officials are now monitoring two more suspected cases.
The outbreak in the Hudson Valley grew by 34 cases just in January.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a public health emergency when that state’s measles outbreak reached 30 cases.
Rockland County officials began invoking state law on disease outbreaks back when there were 11 cases confirmed. County officials received authority from the New York State Health Department Oct. 15 to require unvaccinated students to keep away from certain schools.
SEE: Outbreak: Unvaccinated Kids Must Stay Home From Some Schools
By issuing a State of Emergency, Inslee did much the same thing. The state’s Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and reportedly made available state resources to assist local agencies and departments respond to and recover from the outbreak. Washington’s Department of Public Health is requiring exclusion of students and staff without documented immunity to measles from schools, child care and other congregate settings.
Rockland’s order focused on schools, because 81 percent — have been in those 18 years of age and younger, said John Lyon, Director of Strategic Communications in the County Executive’s Office.
The order requires public and private schools where there were high rates of unvaccinated children to keep those children home until the outbreak was over or the school’s vaccination rate had risen to a designated level. Officials made the order more and more restrictive, finally upping it in January to a 95 percent rate, which affected 59 schools. So far, Lyon said, 29 schools have met that level.
Every confirmed case of measles is the subject of a full epidemiological investigation. Inspectors from the county Health Department interview those who are ill and retrace their steps to make notifications about possible measles exposure when necessary. The State DOH has also been involved on a daily basis, providing staff, support and testing for samples during the outbreak. They participate in every call Rockland officials have to update confirmed cases numbers, and help discuss strategies.
In addition, since the outbreak began in October, more than 14,000 MMR vaccinations have been given in Rockland by New York state’s health department, the county health department, community healthcare providers and private physicians, Lyon said.
Click Here: COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES 2019
The public health response to the measles outbreak, which is the largest in New York State in decades, has been unprecedented, said a spokesman for the New York State Health Department.
The outbreak is primarily in the orthodox Jewish community in Rockland and is connected to travel to and from Israel, officials said.
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Image via Centers for Disease Control
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