Update – the measles outbreak in Brooklyn ended on September 3, 2019 (see below).
There have been several big outbreaks of measles in the United States this year, but until recently, the biggest hadn’t gotten much attention.
As the outbreak in Brooklyn kept getting bigger and bigger, most people focused on the outbreaks in Clark County, Washington and Rockland County, New York.
Timeline of the Measles Outbreak in Brooklyn
So what do we now about the Brooklyn measles outbreak?
- the outbreak began in October 2018 and was started by a traveler returning from Israel, where there is a large outbreak
- as of early April, there were 285 cases (we rarely see that many cases in an entire year, even when combining all of the cases in the whole country!)
- most cases are in the Orthodox Jewish community, even though this is not a religious issue, except that this community has been targeted by an antivaccine group
- since the outbreak started, 649 people were diagnosed with measles.
- 525 cases have been in children
- 85 have been infants
- only 24 have been fully vaccinated
- the youngest case was an infant who was only 4 weeks old!
- 52 people have been hospitalized
- 16 have been admitted to the ICU!
- it cost over $6 million to contain the 2018-19 measles outbreak in Brooklyn, with more than 500 staff dedicated to the response
What else do we know?
As this outbreak lingered into its 11th month, which is very long for a measles outbreak in the post-vaccine era, it became the largest outbreak since 1992!
Why did it last so long?
At a time when cases should have already stopped (most outbreaks only last a few months), or at least be decreasing, the Brooklyn outbreak continued to grow!
There was no sign of it stopping either, with new reports of more than 20 to 40 cases each week.
And that’s what brought on the April 9 declaration of an emergency order.
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that any person who lives, works or resides within the 11205, 11206, 11221 and/or 11237 zip codes and who has not received the MMR vaccine within forty eight (48) hours of this Order being signed by me shall be vaccinated against measles unless such person can demonstrate immunity to the disease or document to the satisfaction of the Department that he or she should be medically exempt from this requirement. “
ORDER OF THE COMMISSIONER to All persons who reside, work or attend school in the neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York and to the parents and/or guardians of any child who resides, works or attends school in the neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
Did this mean that they wwere forcing everyone in Williamsburg to get vaccinated? And arresting those that don’t?
“I want to do the common sense point. We are trying to get people vaccinated. Our goal is not to find anyone. Our goal is not to shut down schools. Our goal is to get people vaccinated.”
Mayor Bill De Blasio
It should have been clear that they were just trying to end the outbreak.
“People in violation of the order will be identified through identification of exposures. Disease detectives will check for immunization status or immunity when tracing the contacts of a person who has developed the illness. “
Oxiris Barbot, M.D. Commissioner of Health
And no one was forced to get a vaccine. Some people were fined when they insisted on not getting vaccinated after they had been exposed to someone with measles, but they still weren’t forced to get the vaccine.
Why did it come to this?
Couldn’t they just quarantine folks who are exposed?
Well, they had been trying that…
And it wasn’t working.
In addition to schools continuing to let in unvaccinated students, the health department was concerned that people in the community were actually having measles parties!
“So we have not used a public health emergency to mandate vaccine in recent history. The circumstance of the combination of a large anti-vax movement in combination with a large outbreak has not happened in the way that it has happened right now.”
Dr. Herminia Palacio, NYC Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services
As in Rockland, there was also an aggressive anti-vaccine campaign in Brooklyn that is pushing misinformation and is scaring parents away from vaccinating their kids.
The case count jumped again on May 24, to 535 cases.
“The Health Department announced today that the number of measles cases has grown to 390, including two pregnant women diagnosed with the infection, one diagnosed in mid-April… Twelve individuals have received summonses for being non-compliant with the Emergency Order since the City began issuing summonses last week. “
But the outbreak was soon over.
If you are upset that this is happening in Brooklyn, the outbreaks and the response to the outbreaks, just remember that it is the anti-vaccine groups working in the community are to blame.
Vaccines are safe, with few risks, and are very obviously necessary.
Get vaccinated. Stop the outbreaks.
Timeline of the Measles Outbreak in Brooklyn
- A Slice of Pie: MMR Edition
- Williamsburg Satmar Kehilla Condemns Handler’s Remarks at Anti-Vax Event; Rebbe Says Everyone MUST Vaccinate
- The Number of Measles Cases Grows to 390
- Parents of 3 NYC children face $1,000 penalty for violating measles order
- Judge Rejects Challenge to NYC Measles Vaccination Order
- Brooklyn ORDER OF THE COMMISSIONER
- Recent Measles Infections in Brooklyn and Queens
- How Orthodox Jewish Nurses Are Fighting ‘Anti-Vaccination Propaganda’ Targeting Their Community
- Amid a Measles Outbreak, an Ultra-Orthodox Nurse Fights Vaccination Fears in Her Community
- Anonymous anti-vaxxers push propaganda on local Orthodox community
- Rav Moshe Sternbuch Writes Letter To Rav Malkiel Kotler About The Halachic Requirement To Vaccinate
- The Frum Nurses’ Association That Educates Anti-Vaxxers & Other Orthodox Jews in the News
- Why Do Some Ultra-Orthodox Jews Defy Their Rebbes And Refuse Measles Vaccines?
- As Measles Spread, Leading Charedi Rabbis Come Out Strongly Against Anti-Vaxxers
- The Anti-Vaccination Disgrace
- Halachic Aspects of Vaccination
- The Obligation to Vaccinate
- Vaccines in Halacha
- Vaccination in Halakhah and in Practice in the Orthodox Jewish Community
- AntiVaxxers – Religious Views Gone Awry
- N.Y. Measles Outbreak: Local rabbi condemns those who “hide behind religious exemptions”
- The Lakewood Suicide Squad
- New York’s Orthodox Jewish community is battling measles outbreaks. Vaccine deniers are to blame.
- Why Orthodox Jewish Communities Are at the Center of a U.S. Measles Outbreak
- An Outbreak Spreads Fear: Of Measles, of Ultra-Orthodox Jews, of Anti-Semitism
- Why Measles Hits So Hard Within N.Y. Orthodox Jewish Community
- When Vaccinations And Faith Collide
- Why I Love Rav Shmuel – And Will Advocate Vaccination Nonetheless
- Don’t Have Time for Your Nonsense
- How an Anti-Vaccine Safety Handbook Has Caused the Longest Measles Outbreak in Recent History
- News on the Latest Measles Outbreaks of 2019
- Where Is Measles on the Rise?
- What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Measles?
- What to Do If Your Child Is Exposed to Measles
- More Measles Myths
- Did New York Declare Medical Martial Law over a Measles Outbreak?
- Are the Measles Outbreaks in New York a Hoax?
- Everything You Need to Know About the Measles Vaccine
- Rockland County Measles Information
- Measles Is Spreading in Orthodox Communities. Here Are 6 Things You Need to Know.
- Gal Gadot and Bar Refaeli Encourage Israelis to Get Measles Vaccine
- What Does Jewish Law Say About Vaccination?
- Statement on Vaccinations from the OU and Rabbinical Council of America
- Vaccines, Hysteria, and Rabbinic Responsibility: A Plea from the Trenches
- Ending the current measles epidemic: Haredi rabbis get it right
- Senior haredi rabbis order followers to vaccinate their children
- Measles spike prompts letters from rabbis, government
- As Measles Spread, Leading Charedi Rabbis Come Out Strongly Against Anti-Vaxxers
- NYC Health Dept. Threatens To Close Brooklyn Yeshivas Over Unvaccinated Students