Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Outreach, Education And Bans Have Failed To Contain Devastating Measles Outbreak. Now NYC Is Making Vaccinations Mandatory.
The New York Times: Measles Outbreak: New York Declares Health Emergency, Requiring Vaccinations In Parts Of Brooklyn
For months, New York City officials have been fighting a measles outbreak in ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn, knowing that the solution — the measles vaccine — was not reaching its target audience. They tried education and outreach, working with rabbis and distributing thousands of fliers to encourage parents to vaccinate their children. They also tried harsher measures, like a ban on unvaccinated students from going to school. But with measles cases still on the rise and an anti-vaccination movement spreading, city health officials on Tuesday took a more drastic step to stem one of the largest measles outbreaks in decades. (Pager and Mays, 4/9)
The Washington Post: Measles Outbreak NY: Yeshiva Ordered To Exclude Unvaccinated Students From School
"This outbreak is being fueled by a small group of anti-vaxxers in these neighborhoods. They have been spreading dangerous misinformation based on fake science,” Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot, a pediatrician, said in the statement. “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 neighborhoods, but as Passover approaches, we need to do all we can to ensure more people get the vaccine.” (Bever, 4/9)
The Wall Street Journal: Measles Outbreak: New York City Orders Mandatory Vaccinations In Parts Of Brooklyn
The county said Tuesday that it had appealed the order and is working on a plan to require exposed but unvaccinated people to remain home for an incubation period, which is typically 21 days. Violators would face fines of up to $2,000, they said. “How high must our case count be before you consider it an emergency?” said Rockland County Executive Ed Day. “This outbreak is an imminent threat to our public health. Doing nothing is absolutely not an option.” (West, Abbott and McKay, 4/9)
The Washington Post: New York City Measles Public Health Emergency: Mayor Orders Vaccines In Brooklyn
New York’s action comes as health officials scramble to blunt the spread of measles, especially with the approach of Passover, a holiday associated with travel and big family gatherings. “We cannot allow this dangerous disease to make a comeback here in New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said Tuesday. “We have to stop it now.” (Sun, Horton and Paluch, 4/9)
The New York Times: New York City Is Requiring Vaccinations Against Measles. Can Officials Do That?
Faced with an expanding measles outbreak, Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York declared a public health emergency on Tuesday and ordered a program of mandatory vaccination in parts of Brooklyn. Such a health order is rare but not unheard-of in American history, medical experts said. It has occurred several times. The Supreme Court ruled more than a century ago that mandatory vaccination was legal, although the court drew a distinction between punishing citizens for refusing and actually vaccinating them by force. (McNeil, 4/9)
The New York Times: ‘Monkey, Rat And Pig DNA’: How Misinformation Is Driving The Measles Outbreak Among Ultra-Orthodox Jews
“The Vaccine Safety Handbook” appears innocuous, a slick magazine for parents who want to raise healthy children. But tucked inside its 40 pages are false warnings that vaccines cause autism and contain cells from aborted human fetuses. “It is our belief that there is no greater threat to public health than vaccines,” the publication concludes, contradicting the scientific consensus that vaccines are generally safe and highly effective. (Pager, 4/9)
The Hill: New York Officials Warn Parents To Stop Holding 'Measles Parties' Amid Latest Outbreak
New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot on Tuesday warned parents in the city not to hold so-called "measles parties" as officials work to counter an outbreak of the disease. Barbot warned that some parents have had "measles parties" to have their children infected with the disease in an effort to immunize them naturally, rather than through a vaccination, according to BuzzFeed News. (Burke, 4/9)
The Washington Post: Measles Outbreak: What To Know About How It Spreads And The Vaccine
Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about measles, which can cause serious complications among all age groups, especially young children. (Sun, 4/9)
Bloomberg: Who Needs Measles Vaccine? NYC Mandates In Williamsburg Outbreak
A measles outbreak in the Orthodox Jewish community of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has prompted New York City to declare a public health emergency, requiring residents to be vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine or face a $1,000 fine. The highly contagious and potentially deadly virus has afflicted 285 New Yorkers since October, including 246 children, almost all of them in the tightly knit Orthodox Jewish community, in one of the city’s most dense neighborhoods. Twenty-one have been hospitalized, with five requiring intensive care, said city Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot. (Goldman, 4/9)
