Measles Outbreak Spreads To Sunset Park, City Says

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — Three residents in Sunset Park, including two children, are among the latest to be infected in the measles outbreak, which has now spread to 466 people in Brooklyn, city officials announced this week.

Updated numbers from the health department Tuesday showed that the majority of measles cases, or 81 percent, are still found in the Williamsburg zip codes, mostly in the Orthodox Jewish communities, that have been under an emergency order to get vaccinated since April 9.

But, the newest cases in the outbreak, which jumped from 423 to 466 total cases over the last week, show that the disease is also spreading to Brooklynites outside of these communities. The three Sunset Park cases, along with one case in Crown Heights, were the only new cases not in Williamsburg and Borough Park, the neighborhoods most affected by the outbreak.

All three people, who do not identify as part of the Orthodox Jewish community, had recently spent time in these neighborhoods, officials said.

Even with the new cases, tough, health officials urged residents to stay calm. The outbreak has been largely contained to certain areas because of the high percentage of those vaccinated in the rest of the borough's neighborhoods, officials said, adding that getting vaccinated is still the best line of defense.

"If you are spending time in Williamsburg, Borough Park or other areas with measles activity in or around NYC confirm that you are immune to measles by looking at your vaccination history or by consulting with your healthcare provider," said Deputy Commissioner Dr. Demetre Daskalakis. "If you don’t know if you have been vaccinated and you live, work, study, or play in areas with measles activity, get vaccinated. It is safe and effective.”

Of the 466 total cases in New York City, 379 have been in Williamsburg, followed by 69 in Borough Park. There have also been less than four cases in Bensonhurst, Brighton Beach/Coney Island, Crown Heights, Midwood/Marine Park, Flushing, Far Rockaway and Hunts Point, Longwood and Melrose. All cases outside of Williamsburg and Borough Park, aside from the one Crown Heights case and three of the Sunset Park cases, were from before April 29, officials said.

Officials also said residents should not worry about increased risk of exposure at New York City public schools despite the two Sunset Park children who were infected. Both children had religious exemptions that allowed them to attend school without being vaccinated, but they did not attend school while infectious, officials said.

The outbreak, which started in October, has sent 34 people to the hospital, including nine who were admitted to the intensive care unit for complications.

The city's efforts to combat the outbreak have resulted in seven schools in Brooklynbeing shut down for not following vaccination orders over the last few weeks. 84 people in the zip codes under the emergency order have been issued summonses for not getting the required vaccine, meaning they could face a $1,000 or $2,000 fine.

Health officials also announced they will start a new ad campaign to reach communities reluctant to get the vaccine. The campaign will include ads on bus shelters, LinkNYC kiosks, in newspapers and online starting May 13. It will add to educational materials already being distributed in both English and Yiddish to the Orthodox community.

More than 22,800 vaccines have been given to children in Williamsburg and Borough Park since October 1, the health department said.