Measles Outbreak: More Cases In Rockland County

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — The longest measles outbreak in the country drags on. Rockland started the month with a total of 130 confirmed cases of measles over four months. Nine more cases have been reported this month, two just this week.

County officials keep having to set the timer back to zero in the county's 21-day countdown for lifting emergency restrictions on schools where the vaccination rate among students is lower than 95 percent.

County health officials, with authority from New York State, placed emergency restrictions on schools in the geographic center of the outbreak. Schools where the vaccination rate is lower than 95 percent are required to report student immunizations (with dates) on a weekly basis.

Most schools affected are yeshivas in the Ultra-Orthodox communities of Monsey, New Square and Spring Valley. Nine yeshivas that had not complied with the orders to keep un- or under-vaccinated students home and provide health officials with updated vaccination records were fined about $70,000 in December.

So far, the county has lifted orders on more than 30 schools but more than 20 remained under the rules as of the middle of February.

Asked about religious exemptions, Rockland County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Ruppert said, "I've met with the rabbis. I have asked them directly if there's a religious reason why people should not be vaccinated and the answer is 'no.'"

Most of Rockland's confirmed measles cases have been children.

• 82 percent have had 0 MMRs
• 3 percent have had 1 MMR
• 5 percent have had 2 MMRs
• 10 percent unknown status

The county has been coping with measles for five months. The first case of an international traveler with measles was in late September, and more cases at the start were due to separate international travelers, three from Rockland and one from abroad in early October.

SEE: Measles Outbreak: Make That 7 New Cases This Week