Breaking News – there are 10 new cases in Rockland County, bringing the total in this ongoing outbreak to 225, as they institute new orders to quarantine anyone with measles or exposed to anyone with measles (see below
We know a lot about the measles outbreak in Rockland County, New York.
That makes it easy to spot anti-vaccine propaganda.
What Do We Know About the Rockland County Measles Outbreak?
What do we know?
We know that the outbreak is still growing.
And we know that most of the folks in the outbreak are unvaccinated.
What else do we know?
“At the end of September 2018, an international traveler arrived in Rockland County with a suspected case of the measles.”
Rockland County Measles Information
The outbreak is already the largest in New York State since the 1990s, before the endemic spread of measles was declared eliminated in the United States.
While it is unlikely to surpass the Ohio measles outbreak of 2014, which reached 384 cases, the Rockland County outbreak has already lasted longer.
In fact, this might will be one of the longer outbreaks is the longest outbreak we have had in a long while since the endemic spread of measles was eliminated in the US in 2000.
| Outbreak | Cases | Duration |
| Brooklyn outbreak 2013 | 58 | 3/13 to 6/9 |
| Ohio outbreak 2014 | 384 | 3/24 to 7/23 |
| Disneyland outbreak 2015 | 147 | 12/28 to 4/16 |
| Minnesota outbreak 2017 | 79 | 3/30 to 8/25 |
| Rockland County outbreak 2018 | 225 | 9/18 – ? |
| Brooklyn outbreak 2018 | 466 | 10/18 – ? |
The Minnesota outbreak of 2017 lasted nearly 5 months, but that includes the 42 days that they went measles-free.
Why 42 days? That’s equal to two incubation periods and if that much time has passed since the last person was infectious, there is little danger that there is still a missed case of measles in the community.
However, since there have been recent cases in Rockland County, we would be are now into the 6th month, mid-March, to get to that same point now.
Why has this outbreak been so hard to control?
“8 separate index cases, all with exposures to ongoing measles outbreak in Israel.”
Measles Review for Providers
Folks keep reintroducing measles into the community!
And immunization rates in the zip codes most affected by the outbreaks were as low as 54% at the start of the outbreak.
What else do we know?
Nine schools, now in compliance, were fined because they didn’t follow the Rockland County Health Commissioners order to keep unvaccinated and undervaccinated students out of school and provide immunization records and attendance records to the Rockland County Department of Health.
“ALL schools within the Village of New Square and any school with less than an 80% MMR vaccination rate within the geographical area affected by the measles outbreak (Spring Valley, Monsey) will be required to keep un- or under-vaccinated students home until 21 days have passed since the last confirmed measles case in Rockland.”
Health Department Announces Increased School Exclusions Due to Measles Outbreak
We don’t know why they aren’t quarantining all intentionally unvaccinated kids from school until the outbreak is over…
We do know that at least six people have been hospitalized in the Rockland County measles outbreak, including one child who ended up in the pediatric intensive care unit.
And we know that vaccines are safe and necessary! Get vaccinated and stop the outbreaks.
“Children 6 months through 11 months of age get an MMR vaccine now. Getting an MMR vaccine now will help give them some protection against measles. They will still have to get a vaccine at 12-15 months of age and again at 4-6 years of age.
Children 1 through 3 years of age who have already received their first MMR vaccine should get a second MMR vaccine now, as long as 28 days have passed since the first MMR vaccine was given to them. This second MMR vaccine will count for school entry.”
In fact, in Rockland County and other areas being hit with an outbreak, kids should get an early MMR, when they are six months old. And they can get their second dose early too, as early as 4 weeks after their first dose when they turn 12 months old.
Lastly, we know that you shouldn’t believe any of the anti-vaccine misinformation that is going around that might scare you away from vaccinating and protecting your kids. That’s why we have these outbreaks…
More on the The Rockland County Measles Outbreak
- VAXOPEDIA – The Rockland County Emergency Declaration
- VAXOPEDIA – Did New York Declare Medical Martial Law over a Measles Outbreak
- VAXOPEDIA – How an Anti-Vaccine Safety Handbook Has Caused the Longest Measles Outbreak in Recent History
- VAXOPEDIA – Why Are Anti-Vaccine Folks Panicking over the Measles Outbreaks?
- VAXOPEDIA – News on the Latest Measles Outbreaks of 2019
- Rockland County Measles Information
- How Orthodox Jewish Nurses Are Fighting ‘Anti-Vaccination Propaganda’ Targeting Their Community
- Parents Wanted Their Unvaccinated Children in Waldorf School, but a Judge Said No.
- Health Department Announces Increased School Exclusions Due to Measles Outbreak
- Rockland measles outbreak: Confirmed cases rise to 130
- Measles Review for Providers
- Brooklyn Measles Information
- A Measles Outbreak in an Underimmunized Amish Community in Ohio
- MMWR – Measles Outbreak — California, December 2014–February 2015
- 2014-2015 California Measles Outbreak: It’s a Small World After All
- MMWR – Notes from the Field: Measles Outbreak Among Members of a Religious Community — Brooklyn, New York, March–June 2013
- MMWR – Measles Outbreak — Minnesota April–May 2017
- Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
- WHO – Guidelines for epidemic preparedness and response to measles outbreaks
- Guidelines for measles outbreak in Canada
- Addressing misconceptions on measles vaccination
Updated May 8, 2019
Last Updated on April 6, 2024