Metro New York Remains Measles Hot-Spot

Health officials from New York have reported additional measles cases related to the ongoing outbreak.

As of November 27, 2018, there were 83 confirmed cases of measles in Rockland County, New York.   

According to the Rockland County health department, the current outbreak began in September 2018 with a case in an unvaccinated foreign traveler. 

And in New York City, health officials continue to report additional measles cases in unvaccinated individuals. 

Since October 2018, there have been 29 confirmed measles cases in the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. 

The initial case in Brooklyn was an unvaccinated child who acquired measles when visiting Israel, where a large outbreak is ongoing. 

According to Israel’s Ministry of Health, 2,040 cases of measles have been reported in the last 9 months, with 874 cases reported in the city of Jerusalem, reported the Jewish News Syndicate. 

Jerusalem has attempted to stop the spread of measles by expanding the accessibility of children’s health clinics and dispatching staff to certain neighborhoods to make vaccination as convenient as possible. 

Measles is a disease that can lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia, and even death. It is caused by a highly contagious virus that is spread through the air by breathing, coughing, or sneezing. 

In the USA, as of November 3rd, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had reported 220 measles cases, which exceeds the 120 cases reported during 2017. 

In reaction to the Israel measles outbreak, the CDC issued a Level 1 Travel Alert on November 16, 2018.   

The CDC says that if you plan to travel to Israel, protect yourself against measles by getting vaccinated at least 2 weeks in advance of your trip. 

Moreover, the CDC says if you have recently traveled to Israel and you have a fever, cough, red eyes, runny nose, and body rash, contact your doctor asap.

International travelers can easily request an MMR vaccination appointment with a pharmacy at Vax-Before-Travel.   

The CDC Vaccine Price List provides the private sector vaccine prices for general information.

And, measles vaccine discounts can be found here.   

Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the CDC.