Measles Cases Spike In Brooklyn, Officials Say

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN – Eleven more Brooklyn children were diagnosed with measles just weeks after the Health Department announced an outbreak in Williamsburg's Orthodox Jewish community.

A total of 17 kids in Williamsburg and Borough Park have come down with the infectious virus after the first cases were reported on Oct. 19, according to the Health Department.

Three of the children, whose ages range from 7 months to 4 years, contracted measles during a trip to Israel, where a large outbreak is occurring, according to health officials.

None of the Brooklyn children have died but several were sent to the hospital with severe symptoms.

The disease spread in Brooklyn schools where children had not been vaccinated, the Health Department stated.

There has been a spike in vaccination rates since the Health Department first announced the outbreak, but many more children still need the MMR vaccine to stop measles from spreading, officials said.

The Health Department will send notifications to schools, providers and hospitals with large Orthodox Jewish populations to raise awareness about vaccinations

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