What The Health: New York City Declares Public Health Emergency Due To Measles Outbreak In Brooklyn

Source: Splash News / Splash News

Mayor De Blasio Declares States Of Emergency Due To Measles Outbreak

Yes, people are contracting the measles virus in 2019. So much so that New York City has declared a public health emergency due to the viral outbreak affecting the Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg. Mayor Bill De Blasio said in a new conference on Tuesday, that unvaccinated people living in select zip codes will be required to receive the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as MMR, to curtail the outbreak and protect others.

“[Williamsburg, Brooklyn] is the epicenter of a measles outbreak that is very, very troubling and must be dealt with immediately. The measles vaccine works. It is safe, it is effective, it is time-tested. Every hour, every day matters here. If people would just go and get vaccinated, there’s no cause for a fine. It’s not our goal to issue violations. We want to simply solve the problem.”

The mayor added that the city would issue violations and possibly fines of $1,000 for those who cannot provide evidence of immunization. Sheesh.