Parents oppose mandatory measles vaccines in Jewish NYC neighborhood
According to the estimations of the city, about 1,800 children were not immunized as of December.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFA JEWISH FAMILY walks in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Yom Kippur.(photo credit: SHANNON STAPLETON / REUTERS)In a heavily Jewish New York City neighborhood some parents are opposing the decision to enforce a mandatory vaccinations policy.Following a recent measles outbreak, city health officials have announced a vaccine order affecting part of the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn that is home to a larger Hassidic community. Noncompliance could result in fines up to $1,000.However, the city’s effort to halt the outbreak is being contested by some of the residents, who promised to sue the authorities.According to the estimations of the city, about 1,800 children were not immunized as of December. Despite only a minority of the Hassidic community refuses inoculations, mistakenly believing that they could be detrimental to the children's health, different factors have contributed to the outbreak.New York City mayor Bill de Blasio expressed the hope that the order will help to persuade the families of the urgency of the matter.
