Families In Suit Send Unvaccinated Schoolchildren Back To Class

Rockland County's measles outbreak stands at 168 confirmed cases as of Monday, a day on which about 45 children whose parents refuse to have them vaccinated returned to the Green Meadow Waldorf School in Rockland County.

The parents were reacting to Friday's decision by Acting State Supreme Court Justice Rolf Thorse. Judge Thorse issued a restraining order halting Rockland's two-week old State of Emergency, which banned unvaccinated children from public places including stores, restaurants, recreation centers and schools.

The judge said the families who had filed suit against Rockland County over the State of Emergency could send their children back to the Green Meadow Waldorf School.

Anti-vaxxers among the Green Meadow parents said in the suit there were no measles cases at their school and they were not part of the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community that has been at the epicenter of the six-month outbreak.

County officials disagreed with the judge, saying the Rockland County Health Commissioner’s previous order, which was enacted on Dec. 3, continues to bar unvaccinated students from schools that have less than a 95% vaccination rate.

“Therefore, today, County Attorney Thomas Humbach sent a letter to Judge Thorsen and to opposing counsel stating our position that the judge’s restraining order did not involve the Health Commissioner’s order,” Rockland County Executive Ed Day said in a statement Monday. “The Health Commissioner’s order was validated in Federal Court and supported by the NY State Department of Health. Therefore, the Commissioner’s order still stands. We are asking the judge to acknowledge that fact.”

In February, the NY State Department of Health determined that an imminent threat to public health exists in Rockland County, based on the significant health risk and rising number of cases. Now at 168 cases, the County Health Department continues on its steady path, working to increase the number of vaccinated individuals. The County continues to urge those who have not been vaccinated to please do so now, for their own sake and for the sake of those who cannot be protected through vaccination.

“The State of Emergency was issued to take that extra, necessary step to fight back against a disease that was eradicated almost 20 years ago,” said Day. “We do not take this lightly. During my five years in office, I have only issued one other State of Emergency Executive Order, and that was for a significant snow storm. What we are facing now is far, far worse... It continues to be our opinion that this measles outbreak was a valid reason for issuing the State of Emergency."

The measles outbreak primarily affects Rockland's Ultra Orthodox Jewish community. A similar outbreak is occurring in the Hasidic communities of Brooklyn and Queens. As of Monday, there have been 285 confirmed cases of measles there since October.

"Indeed, this is now a national epidemic, with the CDC reporting that 465 cases have been confirmed in 19 states so far in 2019 – the second-highest total since measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. – and the numbers are rising fast," Day said. "Between January 1 and March 28, the CDC confirmed 387 new cases, with 73 new cases last week alone. The number of cases in just the first three months of 2019 exceeds the total number of cases for all of 2018.”

The Rockland County Health Department urges those who are still unsure about the merits of immunization to talk to their doctors. For additional vaccination locations, call the Health Department directly at (845) 364-2497, or see your private physician.