Measles outbreak: A US city has ordered an entire neighbourhood to be vaccinated or fined $1000

A US city has ordered an entire neighbourhood to be vaccinated against measles within 48 hours or face a $1000 fine.

A US city has ordered an entire neighbourhood to be vaccinated against measles within 48 hours or pay a $1000 fine.

New York City today declared a public health emergency over an outbreak of the disease centred in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. It’s an area where many residents have rejected immunisation on religious grounds, and more than 250 people have contracted measles since September.

In a press conference, Mayor Bill de Blasio described the outbreak as a measles crisis and announced the order for mandatory vaccinations. Officials have blamed the outbreak on “anti-vaxxers” spreading false information.

The order applies to anyone living, working or going to school in four postcodes in the neighbourhood and requires all unvaccinated people at risk of exposure to the virus to get the vaccine, including children aged more than six months old.

The city can’t legally force someone physically to get a vaccination, but officials said people who ignored the order could be fined $1000. The city said it would help everyone covered by the order get the vaccine if they couldn’t get it quickly through their regular medical provider.

“If people will simply co-operate quickly, nobody will have to pay a fine,” Mr de Blasio said.

According to officials, 285 measles cases have been confirmed in New York City since the beginning of the outbreak, the largest in the area since 1991. New York City accounted for about two-thirds of all US measles cases reported last week.

Measles, mumps and rubella vaccines sit in a cooler at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, New York. Picture: AP / Seth Wenig.

The city’s health commissioner, Dr Oxiris Barbot, said the majority of religious leaders in Brooklyn’s large Orthodox communities support vaccination efforts, but rates have remained low in some areas because of resistance from groups that believe the inoculations are dangerous.

“This outbreak is being fuelled by a small group of anti-vaxxers in these neighbourhoods,” Dr Barbot said.

“They have been spreading dangerous misinformation based on fake science.

“We stand with the majority of people in this community who have worked hard to protect their children and those at risk. We’ve seen a large increase in the number of people vaccinated in these neighbourhoods, but as Passover approaches, we need to do all we can to ensure more people get the vaccine.”

Nurses waiting for patients at the Rockland County Health Department in Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York. Picture: Johannes Eisele / AFP.

Signs advertising free measles vaccines and information about the disease displayed at the Rockland County Health Departmen, in Pomona, New York. Picture: AP / Seth Wenig.

The commissioner has the power to issue mandatory orders in cases when they might be necessary to protect against a serious public health threat.

Earlier this week, the city ordered religious schools and day care programs serving the community to exclude unvaccinated students or risk being closed down.

Another Jewish religious community, north of the city but with close ties to Brooklyn, has also been affected, with at least 166 cases since October. Last week, a state judge blocked an attempt by Rockland County officials to halt the spread of measles by banning unvaccinated children from public places.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all children get two doses of measles vaccine. It says the vaccine is 97 per cent effective.

— With AP

Originally published as Measles outbreak: A US city has ordered an entire neighbourhood to be vaccinated or fined $1000