Anti-Vaxxers Stage Protest At Mall In Rockland County

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — With 156 confirmed cases in Rockland six-month measles outbreak as of Thursday, the county enters the second day of its State of Emergency with a sit in by anti-vaxxers at the Palisades Center mall.

The protest was organized in response to Rockland's declaration of a 30-day order banning all unvaccinated people under 18 from public indoor spaces, such as restaurants, shops and offices.

A group called Pro-Informed Consent organized the sit-in.

Some Rocklanders looked on it with disfavor.

"I fully support vaccinating my child," said Lynn-Marie Schnalzer of Ramapo. "Why take the chance of exposing him to getting sick for no reason? ... I had chicken-pox as a 7 year old. I had SHINGLES as a 14 year old, and again in my 30's, and again in my 40's. Vaccines for shingles exist now, I hopefully won't get it again!"

The folks from Pro-Informed Consent also asked their followers to post comments at The Jewish Federation of Rockland County to protest their position on vaccination.

Meanwhile, while only 30 measles vaccines were given out at Rockland's free clinic yesterday, at least one pediatrician's office was flooded with moms getting their kids vaccinated, not happily, The Journal News reported.

News12 reported that most Rocklanders the station had interviewed supported the state of emergency, just hoping it was the right move.

The county has given out more than 10,000 free MMR vaccines since the outbreak began, many in the Ultra-Orthodox community where the local outbreak is centered.

SEE ALSO

• Measles Outbreak: Reaching Hasidic Moms Afraid Of Vaccines
• Twitterstorm Over Rockland State of Emergency
• Rockland Offers Measles Shot As State Of Emergency Starts: UPDATE
• Measles Virus Taken Shopping By Bus, Taxi In Rockland: New Cases
• Parents Fight Measles Outbreak Rules In Rockland, Brooklyn