Brooklyn, NY – Six cases of childhood measles have been reported in Brooklyn over the last two weeks, the New York City health department said Friday, contributing to a spike in measles cases this year.
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The health department usually sees four to six cases of measles per year in years when there are no outbreaks, said Susan Craig, a spokeswoman for the department. There were recent outbreaks in 2008, when there were 30 cases, and 2009, with 18 cases. Last year there were six cases. So far this year, there have been 24 cases. Many of the cases this year have been among travelers and were not linked together.
The latest outbreak took place within a close-knit Orthodox Jewish population in Brooklyn, officials said. There have been similar outbreaks among Orthodox Jews in the past. Some of the children had not been vaccinated, perhaps because of a preference within the community to delay vaccination, health officials said.
What possible preference could there be among any rational parent to “delay” a measles vaccine and endanger the lives of their own children as well as others who come in contact with them. This is not a haircut that some chareidim delay until the child is few years old. Its preventive medicine 101. Its time for the Yeshivot to require absolute proof of vaccination and let those who refuse sit at home with their children until they get them vaccinated. No exceptions.
Not vaccinating children is criminal. It puts your own kids at risk. And it puts those who can’t be vaccinated at even greater risk.
About time that the Frum community gets over this hype about vaccines being bad for children and causes autism. There is NO correlation found in the scientific literature between vaccinations and autism. The entire hype between vaccinations and autism was based on an entirely bogus paper from 1998 in Lancet, which was later retracted. Sakanta Chamira Ma’isura (Danger is dealt with more severely than a prohibition) (Chulin 10A).
Anyone who is old enough to remember children with measles infections of the brain can testify that measles is not always a benign disease. Why delay immunization? Talk to your child’s doctor immediately and make sure all family members are protected against common diseases. Young ladies anticipating getting married should also speak to their doctors to see if any booster shots are needed. There are some viral infections that can be devastating to a fetus.
I suppose that it is waste of time to suggest that these same parents get their children and themselves immunized with the flu vaccine.
How about the Yeshivas installing soap and hot water.
Wow. Pls before point fingers at parents. Pls go and check out your facts pro and cons abt vaccination. No easy decision.
Based on my research and experience, vaccines are NOT a simple “duh” matter… and those that claim to “know for a fact” that it is harmless are obviously too lazy to to actually do their own research. I actually think that parents who think twice, have an alternative schedule, and don’t just “follow doctor’s orders” blindly – are the REALLY responsible parents – and to be commended!
For the record, my children have been vaccinated.
Sherry, with all due respect, how could you compare the amount of vaccines that we/our parents got, to what our children are getting now within that crucial “development” time period btw birth and adolescence?
Read the research-
1. the researcher who created this theory has admitted to fabricating evidence in his trials.
2. The doctors have separated the shots (more than in the past).
3. The component that the researcher (who admitted to lying) attributed to autism has been taken out of the vaccines.
Learn your facts and don’t be a sakanna to my kids!