New York - New York City declared a public health emergency and
issued an order for mandatory vaccinations on Tuesday over a "huge
spike" in measles cases.
The public health order makes the measles vaccine mandatory for
people living in the affected areas of Brooklyn and fines will be
issued to those who remain unvaccinated, Mayor Bill de Blasio said at
a press conference.
The affected area in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is home to an Orthodox
Jewish community. The New York mayor's office said they had been
reaching out to the community in both English and Yiddish.
There have been almost 300 recorded cases of measles since October
2018, de Blasio said. In 2017, there were only 2 recorded cases of
measles.
The mayor's office placed the blame largely on intentional campaigns
to discredit the safety of vaccinations - the so-called anti-vax
movement that has gained prominence across the United States.
"It is crucial for people to understand the measles vaccine works -
it is safe, it is effective, it is time-tested," de Blasio said.
He also warned against "measles parties," where parents expose their
children to the measles infection in a bid to give them immunity.