Rockland Officials Offer Free Measles Shots As Cases Shoot Up

NEW CITY, NY — The number of confirmed measles cases in Rockland jumped by five between Tuesday and Wednesday. Continuing their efforts to protect more people against the measles virus, Rockland County officials will hold another free vaccine clinic on Friday.

Residents six months and older can get a free measles-mumps-rubella vaccine at the WIC office at 23 Robert Pitt Drive, Suite 103, in Monsey. The event will take place from 1-3 p.m.

"With the measles outbreak continuing in Rockland County, now with 173 confirmed reported cases, the best way to help protect yourself and the community is to remain up-to-date with your measles vaccination," County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert said in the announcement.

Since the measles outbreak began in October, 18,173 MMR vaccinations have been given in Rockland County as of April 9, officials said.

Still, 7-9 percent of Rockland residents under 18 are unvaccinated, County Executive Ed Day said at a press conference Tuesday.

Rockland officials announced at that press conference that they were pivoting slightly in their fight against the measles outbreak, which they consider a public health crisis.

They're planning to appeal Friday's decision by Supreme Court Judge Rolf Thorsen putting their State of Emergency on hold. (Thorsen said the problem wasn't serious enough. "If this isn't a health emergency, what is?" Day said.)

But Day said they would not await the outcome of the appeal to take action. Instead, health department officials are identifying unvaccinated people who may be exposed to the measles and ordering them to stay home and without visitors. It is not a quarantine, they said.

"What we're saying to people is this: You are being noticed by the commissioner of health that if you go out after you've been identified, you break the order, you are subject to fines and those fines can be up to $2,000," Day said at the press conference. So if a neighbor sees you and makes a phone call and we find this to be true, that's what's going to happen."

A related outbreak in Brooklyn was up to 285 as of Monday. Westchester County officials on Wednesday reported eight cases connected to Rockland and Brooklyn.

Free MMR vaccines are also available by calling:

• The Rockland County Department of Health at 845-364-2497 or 845-364-2520 to schedule an appointment to get a free MMR vaccine at the Pomona health complex.
• The Rockland County Department of Health Spring Valley Family Planning Clinic is also providing MMR vaccines, by appointment to Family Planning patients. Family Planning Clinic patients can call 845-364-2531 to schedule an appointment.

In addition, MMR vaccines are available at local health care providers or by calling a local federally qualified health center, such as Refuah or Hudson River Health Care. The federally qualified health centers see patients on a sliding fee scale and by appointment. They may require patients new to their centers to have a well visit first, before a vaccine can be given.

Visit www.nachc.org/about/about-our-health-centers/find-a-health-center/ to find the locations of federally qualified health centers in Rockland.

The Health Department is actively working to contain the further spread of measles. As a result, if you are ill with a fever, rash, or conjunctivitis (red watery eyes) – help protect our community by staying home, not having visitors, and not going out in public. To further prevent the spread of illness, the Department is advising individuals 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.

"We urge everyone who is not vaccinated to do so as it is the one, safe, surefire way to prevent contracting measles," said Day. "It is critically important to your health and the health of the public."

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 also call this number for additional information.

Residents can get more information about measles by visiting https://bit.ly/2zh4v1G and by calling the New York State Department of Health toll free Measles Information Line at (888) 364-4837.