NYC measles outbreak spreads to Staten Island and Manhattan as cases hit 550

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New York City’s measles outbreak has spread to Manhattan and Staten Island as the number of confirmed cases reached 550 as of Tuesday, officials announced.

Seven of the cases identified since the outbreak began last October were Staten Island residents and another lives in Manhattan, the Health Department said on Wednesday.

Six Staten Island cases date back to March and are linked to another measles outbreak in Rockland County. One Staten Islander and the Manhattan resident were exposed to measles in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where officials confirmed 12 cases.

The Health Department said it hasn’t found anyone who caught measles from those eight people. So far, measles has landed 42 people in the hospital and 12 in intensive care units.

“These cases prove the urgent need to get vaccinated, especially if you spend time in areas that are experiencing an outbreak,” Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot said in a statement. “This message cannot be overstated -- if you live, work or attend school in these sections of the city, get vaccinated if you are able.”

There have been 940 measles cases confirmed nationwide between Jan. 1 and May 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

New York City’s share of the national outbreak has hit the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn particularly hard. Most cases citywide — or 77% — occurred in Williamsburg where officials mandated residents to be inoculated with the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine last month.

The city slapped 123 people with summonses for failing to comply with the emergency vaccination order as of Wednesday.


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