3 New York City parents face fines amid vaccine mandate, more schools closed
WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn (WABC) -- New York City issued three summonses after three children were found to not be vaccinated under the recent vaccine mandate and also closed four more schools amid the current measles outbreak.
The Department of Health announced Thursday that the three non-vaccinated people failed to comply with the Commissioner's Emergency Order mandating measles vaccination and could face a fine of $1,000.
To stop the spread of measles in New York City, the health department on April 9 ordered adults and children ages 6 months and older who live, work or go to school in four Brooklyn zip codes (11205, 11206, 11211 and 11249) to receive an MMR vaccine within 48 hours.
Failing to appear at the hearing or respond to the summons will result in a $2,000 fine.
Health officials are investigating cases with the help of its "disease detectives" and say many of the people who were contacts of individuals with measles had proof of vaccination. The three children in question, however, were still unvaccinated as of April 12.
The cases will go to a hearing, where the parent will be fined if the violations are upheld.
Additionally, the health department is issuing closure orders for four additional school sites, located at:
--68-84 Harrison Avenue
--241 Keap Street
--590 Bedford Avenue
--720 Wythe Avenue
The Health Department also announced that the United Talmudical Academy (UTA), located at 75 Ross Street in Williamsburg, has reopened with monitoring after it was closed on Tuesday for failing to provide access to vaccination and attendance records.
There have been 329 cases since the outbreak began last October, though it is unclear how many cases are current. There have been no fatalities and only three measles-related deaths in the past two decades, but health officials say there have been complications in the current outbreak, including 25 hospitalizations.
For more information on the MMR vaccine, call 311 or CLICK HERE.
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