Measles Case At Public Elementary School In Rockland

Rockland County's measles outbreak, now at nearly 90 cases, has largely been centered geographically in Ramapo, in the communities of Monsey, New Square and Spring Valley. It has been centered demographically in the ultra-Orthodox community, and restrictions have been put on private schools where immunization rates are lower than 80 percent to keep unvaccinated children home from school.

However, officials have been warning for more than a month that all of Rockland should be considered at risk.

Then last week two things happened that brought their warning home.


First, a new case of measles turned up and health officials tracing it found the person had visited the Best Buy in West Nyack while contagious, exposing everyone who was there at the time.

Then, on Friday, parents at Hempstead Elementary School, in the public school district of East Ramapo, were informed by letter that there had been a case of measles there too.

There was no order to keep un- or under-vaccinated students at home from Hempstead, Health Department officials said, because the 21-day incubation period was already over before the county was informed of the case.

In a Facebook comment on The Power Of Ten page, county officials said:

The Rockland County Department of Health(RCDOH) notified the East Ramapo Central School District and administrators at Hempstead Elementary School of a confirmed case of measles within that school. RCDOH was notified of the case after the 21 day incubation period had ended so no students will need to be excluded at this time.

RCDOH instructed the school, through a letter, to monitor the students for signs and symptoms of measles and asked for a list of every student's immunization status. From previous records, it is known that Hempstead Elementary School has a very high rate of immunization.

And trouble has begun again in the uneasy relationship in Rockland between the Hasidic community and the anti-Semites.

The way to avoid getting measles is to be immunized.

The Health Department is actively working to contain the further spread of measles. As a result, if you are ill with a fever, rash, or conjunctivitis (red watery eyes) – help protect the community by staying home, not having visitors, and not going out in public, health officials said.




Source: patch.com