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One County's Response to Measles Outbreak: Ban Unvaccinated Kids From Public

The county, located outside New York City, is battling the state's worst measles outbreak in decades, according to The New York Times. The state of emergency takes effect at midnight and expires in 30 days.

By Kevin Tampone

Rockland County plans to declare a state of emergency over its ongoing measles outbreak and ban unvaccinated minors from public places.

The county, located outside New York City, is battling the state's worst measles outbreak in decades, according to The New York Times. The state of emergency takes effect at midnight and expires in 30 days.

The outbreak began last year. So far, it includes 153 confirmed cases, according to the county. Since the start of 2019, 48 new cases have been confirmed.

Over 45 percent of those infected are between 4 and 18 years old and another 23.8 percent are 1 to 3 years old.

Over 82 percent of those infected have not received any measles vaccinations, the county said.

The outbreak has mostly affected ultra-Orthodox communities, according to the Times. Anti-vaccine literature has been spreading among those groups and their vaccination rates tend to be lower.

Under the emergency declaration, no one under 18 years old will be allowed in public places until the declaration expires or they receive the measles vaccination, according to WABC in New York.

It's not clear how the rule will be enforced.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day will discuss details of the emergency at a press conference this afternoon, according to the Journal News in White Plains.

Several parts of the country have been hit with measles outbreaks in recent months. The illnesses have drawn attention to vaccine exemptions.

A recent poll from Siena College found nearly 80 percent of New Yorkers said vaccinations should be required for kids before they can go to school, regardless of family religious beliefs.

New Yorkers in the poll want mandated vaccines, regardless of family religious beliefs.

Religious exemptions to vaccine requirements have made headlines amid recent outbreaks.

A new bill in the New York Legislature would allow minors to get vaccinated even if their parents object. Other officials in states including Texas have been looking to make vaccine exemptions easier to obtain.

Measles was largely eliminated in the United States after the vaccine was introduced in the 1960s. Some health officials are worried about a renewed threat in the face of growing opposition to vaccines among some.

(c)2019 Syracuse Media Group, N.Y.

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