Health officials in New York City have declared a public health emergency and ordered residents who may have been exposed to measles to get vaccinated or face a fine of up to $1,000. The decision comes as a measles outbreak continues to spread throughout the Orthodox Jewish community in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.
The City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will check the medical records of any person who may have been in contact with infected patients to determine if they are up to date on their vaccinations.
"There's no question that vaccines are safe, effective and life-saving," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. "I urge everyone, especially those in affected areas, to get their MMR vaccines to protect their children, families, and communities."
The city has also warned yeshiva schools that if they allow unvaccinated students to attend they will be fined and could even be shut down until the outbreak is over. The schools were ordered to ban unvaccinated students in December, but health officials say one school in Williamsburg allowed unvaccinated children to attend and has been linked to 40 cases of measles.
The outbreak started in October and there have been 285 reported cases of measles. 246 of those cases were in children and 21 people have been hospitalized.
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