After Recent Measles Scare, Rockland Offers Residents Free Shot

The Rockland County Health Department will hold a measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine clinic from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Spring Valley. The county is offering non-immune residents who are 6 months of age through age 60 one dose of MMR vaccine at no cost.

This is in response to the traveler who came to Rockland with measles during the Jewish holidays. Many people were exposed to the highly contagious disease before the traveler felt sick and saw a doctor.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus that is spread by direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected people. People first develop a fever, then may have a cough, runny nose and watery eyes, followed by appearance of a rash. People are considered infectious from four days before to four days after the appearance of the rash.

Symptoms usually appear 10-12 days after exposure, but may appear as early as 7 days and as late as 21 days after exposure.

The single best way to prevent measles is to be vaccinated. Before the measles vaccination program started in 1963, about 3 to 4 million people got measles each year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Of those people, 400 to 500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 4,000 developed encephalitis.

The Health Department is encouraging and offering the community to be up to date with the MMR vaccine to help protect them in case of any future exposure to measles.

If you are unsure if you are immune, contact your healthcare provider. Individuals should receive two doses of MMR vaccine to be fully protected. Typically, the first dose of MMR vaccine should be given at 12-15 months of age and the second dose should be given at four to six years of age (age of school entry), although individuals may also be vaccinated later in life.

In New York State, measles immunization is required of children enrolled in schools, daycare, and pre-kindergarten. Since August 1990, college students have also been required to demonstrate immunity against measles.

Individuals are considered protected or immune to measles if they were born before 1957, have received two doses of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, have had physician or provider-confirmed measles, or have a lab test confirming immunity. Individuals who are not immune to measles and were exposed are at risk for developing measles.

IMPORTANT: To prevent the spread of illness, Rockland health officials are advising individuals who may have been exposed and who have symptoms consistent with measles to contact their health care provider, a local clinic, or a local emergency department before going for care. This will help to prevent others at these facilities from being exposed to the illness.

The MMR vaccine clinic is in response to an international traveler who was confirmed to have measles, who flew through Newark Liberty International Airport on Sept. 28, 2018 and visited multiple locations in New Square, potentially exposing others to measles from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1. The Health Department is hoping residents will take advantage of this free dose of MMR if needed to be up-to-date on vaccine guidelines.

The traveler arrived in Terminal B of Newark International Airport and may have traveled to other areas of the airport. Anyone who was in the airport on September 28 between 5:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. may have been exposed to measles. In addition, anyone who visited the following locations in New Square, New York may have been exposed to measles:

Bais Medrash of New Square, 11 Truman Ave, New Square

• Friday, 9/28, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Friday, 9/28, between 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
• Saturday, 9/29 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Sunday, 9/30 between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
• Sunday, 9/30 between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
• Monday, 10/1 between 12:15 a.m. and 4:15 a.m.

Sukkah adjacent to Avir Yakov Boys' School, 766 N. Main St, New Square

• Friday, 9/28 between noon and 4 p.m.
• Saturday, 9/29 between 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Refuah Health Center,728 N. Main St, New Square

• Saturday, 9/29 between 11:30 p.m. and 2 a.m.
• Monday, 10/1 between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

These times reflect the period that the infected individual was in these areas and a two-hour period after the individual left the area, as the virus remains alive in air and on surfaces for up to two hours.

If you were present at these locations during these times, and are in any of the following high-risk groups, contact your health care provider by phone right away:

• Pregnant
• A child under 6 months of age
• Immunocompromised or immunosuppressed (when your body can't fight disease)
• Have not been vaccinated against the measles
• Were born before 1957 and are immunosuppressed

The Health Department is asking all health care providers to immediately report all cases of suspect measles to the Rockland County Department of Health Communicable Disease Program staff by calling 845-364-2997 during normal business hours, or 845-364-8600 after hours/weekends. Health Care Providers can call this number for additional information.

• WHERE: The clinic will be held at the Spring Valley Family Planning clinic at 14 South Main St., 2nd floor (accessible by elevator or stairs).
• WHEN: 4:30-6:30 p.m. Oct. 11

More information about measles can be found at https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2170.pdf.

SEE: Measles Exposure In Rockland County, Newark Airport