Time: New York City Declares Public Health Emergency In the Face of an Intensifying Measles Outbreak

New York has taken a critical step in stopping their measles outbreak with the proclamation that anyone unvaccinated for measles will be fined $1,000 in some Williamsburg zipcodes. There have been well over 200 cases of measles within this area of New York and due to the extent of this crisis, the Mayor and Health Commissioner see this action fit as it is focused on a community that is being disproportionately effected. A few days prior, the city announced that schools that allow unvaccinated children to attend may receive fines or closure for doing so and decreed that unvaccinated children are not allowed to visit some public areas in Rockland County. Measles is a highly contagious infection and can, in severe cases, lead to death.