Measles Outbreak Hits Williamsburg, Officials Say

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — Six Brooklyn kids contracted measles this month after one of them returned from a trip to Israel, according to city health officials.

Health Department officials said Thursday that the children, who are between the ages of 11 months and 4 years, have come down with the contagious virus in Williamsburg’s Orthodox Jewish community.

Only one of the six children had been vaccinated, but too recently for it to fight the infection, health officials said.

“Too many families are choosing to not vaccinate or delay vaccination, putting their children and other children at risk” said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot.

“It is also important to make sure the entire family is protected before traveling internationally, because outbreaks of measles are occurring in Israel and throughout Europe."

One kid has since gone to the hospital with pneumonia and another suffered an ear infection because of complications stemming from measles, health officials said.

Health officials said seven people in New York State have also contracted the highly contagious disease; five caught measles in Israel and two others were exposed in the United States.

The Health Department held a meeting with rabbis and elected officials in Williamsburg Thursday to increase awareness about prevention.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock