The city health department on Thursday identified five Brooklyn yeshivas that let unvaccinated students attend school amid a measles outbreak that has already sickened 137 kids and 21 adults.
The five religious schools serve the Orthodox Jewish community that’s been battling a sweep of the potentially deadly disease since October.
By allowing unvaccinated children to attend classes, the yeshivas defied a city Health Department mandate to keep them at home during the outbreak. Three of the five schools let students attend while contagious, the city said.
The five yeshivas — Bnos Square and Bnos Chayil, both in Williamsburg, and Bnos Chayil, Tiferes Bnos and Simche Kinder, all in Borough Park — could be subjected to fines for breaking the directive.
“We’re very concerned about this…This is not a good thing and this is not a safe thing and we have to convince people to do things otherwise because there could be much bigger ramifications if this is not addressed. The health department is all over this and we’re hoping for a resolution soon,” Mayor de Blasio said Thursday at an unrelated press conference.
Measles is a highly contagious disease and can cause pneumonia, swelling of the brain and death. Measles is preventable with the measles-mumps-rubella — MMR — vaccine.
The Health Department in December announced mandatory exclusions for students in certain parts of Borough Park and Williamsburg that have not received the required number of doses of measles vaccine.
“As the city’s doctor, and a pediatrician, I am very concerned that children without the measles vaccination, are at unnecessary risk for serious, and potentially fatal, symptoms related to measles,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “The outbreak is not over, and we will continue to see additional cases as long as unvaccinated students are not properly excluded from attending school.”
In January, Yeshiva Kehilath Yakov Pupa in Williamsburg went out of compliance with the city’s exclusion order, allowing an unvaccinated student who had measles but had not yet begun presenting symptoms to attend school.
That yeshiva was connected to 28 cases in students and an additional 14 cases directly linked to the school, contributing to a large increase in measles cases and the continuation of the outbreak, the city said Thursday.
None of the 158 people — the majority under age 18 — afflicted with the disease have died, although 11 had to be hospitalized, with a child put in the intensive care unit.
In the past week, the Health Department identified 25 new cases: nine who were diagnosed in the past week and 16 who had contracted the disease but were found after symptoms subsided.
Most of these recent cases are from Williamsburg — but two were from Borough Park.
Since the beginning of the outbreak, five people, including the initial case of measles, acquired measles on a visit to Israel, where a large outbreak of the disease is occurring. One case was acquired from the U.K. and one from Ukraine. None of the 25 most recently added cases are travel related, the city said.
Do u honestly believe that research is looking to establish the dangers of vaccinations? No, theiyre job is to prevent diseases and convince of how safe they are. It would be totally against their interests to start exploring the dangers. If anything would come to light they will do their best to coverup since they have convinced millions to vaccinate and promised they were safe. Do u really believe they care if ur kid cv became autistic? No they don’t care. Their goal is to prevent measles. Imagine they did discover a link ? It would make them look so… Read more »
I do not know about the specific cases you are talking about but measles in a pregnant woman does not cause birth defects. You may be mixing up with rubella which is also called the German measles which does have a chance of causing birth defects.
To #13
The mumps vaccine is claimed to be only 85% effective but there are studies that show it may be much less. Mumps used to be a regular childhood desease that you got over with it when you were young (and is much less severe in younger children) and adolescents or adults didn’t get it. The problem you are saying is precisely because we’re being vaccinated so ppl come to older ages without having natural immunity, only some vaccine protection and can get the desease hence the (very very small) chance of sterility.
The vaccine religion requires 100% unquestioning compliance. You cannot waiver even one iota from the herd, even to reject the flu vaccine. You will be forced to take your place among the herd. Sounds familiar?
Do u honestly believe that research is looking to establish the dangers of vaccinations? No, theiyre job is to prevent diseases and convince of how safe they are. It would be totally against their interests to start exploring the dangers. If anything would come to light they will do their best to coverup since they have convinced millions to vaccinate and promised they were safe. Do u really believe they care if ur kid cv became autistic? No they don’t care. Their goal is to prevent measles. Imagine they did discover a link ? It would make them look so… Read more »
Thank you for your concern for the children without the measles vaccination. I share your concern for the children. For all those sensitive children who are being unnecessarily harmed by the practice of across the board vaccination without any regard to the individuals sensitivities.
i know a young man who is deaf because his mother contracted measles while pregnant and another young man with another disability, as a result from measles. It may not be dangerous for you but it may affect pregnant women and others around you.
Why mumps. I heard directly from crown heights Drs that they know that their are young men in our community that became sterile from mumps during the last outbreak. Would you let your daughter marry someone who is sterile. These men should sue their parents. So much ignorance
2 days ago the health department went ALL out checking all frum schools to check the foods.
BP Flatbush CH……
Without naming names, a few in CH were hit hard with violations.
The majority of the unvaccinated didn’t get the measles…though many of their vaccinated friends did. Go figure.
?????? We liive our lives according to Torah and what has been taught and interpreted by generations of sages. If we have questions, we rely upon those who are knowledgeble in Torah laws. Why do so many frum people believe any new theory about health which goes against establiished practice without any relible evidence. So why do so many frum people accept any idea which someone proposes, especially if it is contrary to accepted practice medically or scientificaly or is in the realm of “alternative xyz”? Why do we speak of rights without consideration of how our actions may affect… Read more »
Why do I have to vaccinate against mumps and rubella when only measles is going around? Why is there no isolated measles vaccine?
pushes off the biggest brochos. I shudder to think at how quickly we remove Divine protection, without a moment’s thought. Why promote this??
150 had measles… a few hospitalizations (w/o detail)… Yet 100,000+ vaccinated = $10s of millions for big pharma and all of the clinics… = financial bonanza at our children’s expense. Measles was always a regular childhood sickness like chicken pox – they actually help build up the immune system. Stay strong parents & dont vacinate!
How’s about adding the risks of the mmr and deaths from mmr. Just copy from the vaccine insert and the gov. Vacvine advetse events reporting system.
Maybe this “debate ” is entertaining for you! I have better things to do with my time but to humor you!
GO!
So irresponsible and negligent!
So sad for the unprotected children.
why to panic, NY has rights and religious exceptions, while i do vaccinate my kids with all except the flu shot, that became a mandatory too. i believe that everyone has rights and their doctor’s advise what to do better, government can not control our kids life and fine private schools
What reason could they possibly have to do something so stupid and dangerous?!