Measles Spreads To Bed-Stuy Yeshivas Flouting Vaccine Rules: City

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN -- Three Bed-Stuy yeshivas are allowing unvaccinated students to attend classes amid a burgeoning measles outbreak that has reached 137 children and 21 adults in Brooklyn, according to the Health Department.

Tiferes Bnos, Simche Kinder and Bnos Square of Williamsburg flouted the Health Department directive meant to curtail a 158-case outbreak of measles, a highly infectious and potentially fatal virus, that erupted in the Orthadox Jewish community in October, officials said Thursday.

“As the city’s doctor, and a pediatrician, I am very concerned that children without the measles vaccination, are at unnecessary risk for serious, and potentially fatal, symptoms related to measles,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot.

“The outbreak is not over, and we will continue to see additional cases as long as unvaccinated students are not properly excluded from attending school.”

The three Bed-Stuy schools are among five yeshivas found to be disobeying the ordinance during Health Department inspections, according to city officials.

The penalty is $2,000-per-day for every unvaccinated child allowed to attend school during the outbreak, a Health Department spokesperson said.

Three of the five schools allowed contagious students to attend classes, officials said.

Brooklyn Yeshivas named in the report:

• Bnos Square of Williamsburg at 382 Willoughby Ave. in Bed-Stuy
• Bnos Chayil at 712 Wythe Ave. in Williamsburg
• Bnos Chayil at 345 Hewes St. in Williamsburg
• Tiferes Bnos at 585 Marcy Ave. in Bed-Stuy
• Simche Kinder at 808 Myrtle Ave. in Bed-Stuy

In January, the Health Department linked 28 measles cases to Yeshiva Kehilath Yakov Pupa in Williamsburg, which did not comply with the Health Department’s exclusion order.

One child was sent to the intensive care unit and 11 people have been hospitalized during the measles outbreak, officials said.

More than 7,000 people have received the MMR vaccine since the Health Department launched its campaign to stop the measles spread in October.