As many of you may have heard by now, there is an outbreak of measles affecting the Orthodox Communities in New York associated with an outbreak of measles in Israel. The purpose of this article is to inform and address possible concerns or questions people may have.
As of this writing there have been at least 35 cases confirmed in Rockland County (Monsey and surrounding area), and 11 confirmed in Williamsburg and Borough Park, Brooklyn. The Ocean County Department of Health has also confirmed one case in Lakewood, New Jersey.
It is likely there are more cases that will emerge, as those initially affected will have spread it to more people. Since the illness is contagious before symptoms present, there have been large numbers of people exposed to each of the individuals with measles.
The majority of cases in New York City have been among young children who are unvaccinated because their parents delayed vaccination.
The illness seems to have been brought over from Israel, where there is currently a large measles epidemic affecting the Orthodox, and specifically the Chareidi community.
According to Haaretz newspaper there have been 882 cases of measles in Israel in the past year, including 529 in the Jerusalem area, 115 in Tzfat, 74 in Petach Tikva and 55 in the Tel Aviv area. Of these cases, more than 200 were in the month of September indicating the outbreak is not slowing down.
Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that occurs in many parts of the world. The early symptoms are very typical of what we might call “flu like”. They include cough, runny nose, congestion, and pink eye. Typically there is a very high fever (in the 104-105 range). Two to four days after the onset of fever the patient will break out in a rash that usually, but not always, begins on the face and spreads down the body. The patient generally begins to improve within 48 hours of the onset of the rash. The rash darkens to a brownish color and then fades over the next week. The cough may continue for one to two weeks, but the fever usually goes away after the second day of the rash.
Measles can be a very serious illness. One or more complications occur in approximately 30% of cases. Diarrhea is the most common complication, and ear infections are quite common as well. More alarming, measles weakens the immune system and puts the patient at risk for potentially severe respiratory illness. In fact, pneumonia is the cause of the vast majority of deaths from measles. Pneumonia as a complication is most likely in those under age 5 or over age 20. Women with measles who are expecting are at risk for preterm labor and miscarriage. Because of large measles outbreaks in Europe, this year alone, there have been 40 deaths, mostly in unvaccinated children.
The other serious potential consequence of measles virus includes several severe neurologic conditions that may occur immediately or even years later. Encephalitis (brain inflammation) occurs in 1/1000 cases with the potential for brain damage and death. Other neurologic diseases, while rare, may occur as well.
Historically, measles was an illness that every child contracted, and the morbidity and mortality from the illness would horrify us today. History books, and even a number of works of fiction from previous centuries, such as “Oliver Twist”, make much mention of the ravages of measles.
Measles is preventable. The MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine is extremely effective in preventing contracting the illness. The first dose is given at 1 year of age, ideally at 12 months, and a second dose at 4-6 years of age. The second dose of MMR may be given earlier than age 4 years, as long as the doses are 28 days or more apart. Women of child-bearing age should make sure that they are immune to measles before becoming pregnant. Pregnant woman and people with a weakened immune system should not get an MMR.
It is critical that children aged 12 months and older and adults travelling overseas are up to date with measles vaccination. In addition, it is recommended that an early, extra dose of MMR be given to infants aged 6 to 11 months of age before travel overseas to prevent them from getting measles.
The rate of measles vaccination among young children in the Orthodox community is lower than that of other communities, putting the community at risk for the ongoing spread of infection.
Fortunately, the majority do vaccinate. The problem is that when the vaccination rates drop below 95%, the illness can spread to anyone who is not vaccinated. This includes infants who are less than one year of age, and therefore too young to have been vaccinated, and to pregnant women whose immunity to measles may be low. People with weakened immune systems are also at high risk for serious complications if exposed. No vaccine works perfectly and we all depend on the overall high rate of immunization to be protected.
Measles is transmitted by airborne particles. That means that there does not need to be close contact for it to spread. If the contagious person is in a shul, store, or classroom anyone in that location EVEN UP TO 2 HOURS LATER can contract the illness.
A patient with measles is contagious 4 days before the appearance of the rash until 4 days after it’s appearance. The incubation period is 7 to 21 days, meaning a vulnerable exposed person is at risk of illness during that period.
If someone believes that they or their child may have measles, they should alert their doctor before coming in to a healthcare facility so that proper precautions can be taken so as not to expose others at the doctors office. It goes without saying that at all times sick children should be kept home from school and other public gatherings.
The best way to protect yourself and your family from measles is by vaccination. With good immunization practices and keeping sick children out of public areas we hope not spread much further.
Dr. Abie Gottesman 10/30/18
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Dr. Gottesman at his office phone number, (646) 757-8751, extension 203, or at [email protected].
We had the same experience. The board of health told us inwas another strain of the measles! This is a common occurrence with the whooping cough as well. That explains the outbreak in schools where vaccination is almost 100%. The DTap is often ineffective because of this
I’m not prepared to tell anyone if they should vaccinate their children or not but I am prepared to tell you that vaccine injury is REAL and you will be reasonable for that decision. The people missing from that equation should an injury occur are all the people that told you that shot was safe. They will go on with their lives like they don’t have a care in the world.
I B’H have six kids and gave them all shots, however a few years ago two of my boys got Mumps and they were vaccinated!! go figure
I’m not saying people shouldn’t give the measles shot but i am saying that these shots are not always effective
BH we have smart young people, like yourself, in our community actually receiving proper training. I wish there were more of you.
I also worked in healthcare
Do you realize you are trying to get through to a very ignorant and uneducated group of people who cannot comprehend what you are talking about? I’ve worked with doctors and they are so frustrated and simply give up. One even said let them just get into an icu or lose a kid because it’s a lost cause.I see he had a good point.
במענה על מכתבו מעש”ק בו שואל אודות הזריקות איינשפריצונגען שעושים עתה לילדים קטנים איך ינהג בזה הנה בכגון דא נאמר אל תפרוש מן הצבור וינהג כמו שעושים רוב הכתה בבית הספר בה לומדים ילידיהם שיחיו ויעזרם השי”ת לגדל את כל ילידיהם שיחיו לתורה ולחופה ולמעשים טובים מתוך הרחבה מאשר הנני קבלת מכתבו מי”א שבט והקודמו וממהר הנני לענות עליו שלא בתור אפילו של מכתבים התכופים מפני ענין הזריקות לחיסון אף שלפלא שאלתו בזה שהרי כמה מאה”ק כבר שאלוני ועניתי להם בחיוב כיון שכאן עושים זה רובם ככולם ובהצלחה ומובן שבאם ישנם זריקות מתוצרת בתי סממני רפואה שונים צריך להשתמש בזו… Read more »
Hi this is your friendly neighborhood med student back at it again to preach to all the lunatics on here that cannot comprehend their sheer ignorance on this matter. Vaccines are not risk free, they can cause serious damage. These sever reactions occur roughly 1 in 1,000,000 based on actual peer reviewed research (I know you don’t what that means, google it). The risks of vaccines are well known to medical professionals and are clearly published on inserts of vaccine packages. That being said, your chances of contracting the targeted disease is astronomically higher than being affected by the averse… Read more »
Jerusalem reported another toddler dead from measles.
Congrats!
LOL. No, the minority aka crazies should start the new island. Why should the majority leave? Thanks for putting our children at risk.
if you are vaccinated – then why be afraid?
you should feel “protected”
you shoud feel “safe”
you shoud feel “immune”
clearly, your vaccinations are not effective. ….you are catching something…..could be from someone that has been vaccinated and also caught it from someone who has been vaccinated who also…….
Dr. Gottesman. What is the accumulative effect of Thimerasol on the DNA of tissue samples in the Ovaries and Testies ? Because that’s the real reason why this B/S is being promulgated by Big Pharma in partership with other Deep-State actors. Yes, I know that when you call the company they’ll tell you that ” its been removed”. But I’ll be happy to show you comparisons of “Brain Tissue Cultures” in a recent publication by the “Medical Bulletin” released by the University of John Hopkins. Thimerasol is used as a preservative in these vaccines and is 80 x more toxic… Read more »
The measles outbreak in Israel has just claimed it’s first fatality. The unvaccinated child died from complications of measles.
http://www.vosizneias.com/308986/2018/11/01/jerusalem-israel-battles-measles-outbreak-as-infant-dies-of-disease/
I’m in Rockland and the Health Dept. just mandated that all unvaccinated kids must stay home from school for 3 weeks starting this Monday. It’s a health crisis here and they are not accepting exemptions.
Meanwhile in Brooklyn a parent is suing a school for not accepting their unvaccinated child…..
#33: we’re talking where the unvaccinated child _did_ have the disease, just that the external symptoms hadn’t come out yet. (You do, I hope, realize that measles, pertussis, etc., all have an incubation period; if a child is vaccinated, then the germs that would cause that disease, when they enter the body, are destroyed by the immune system, whereas if the child is not vaccinated, they multiply and are able to infect others.) #34: let’s say that’s so (there are studies to that effect, but there are also contradictory ones). First of all, then, all the more reason to vaccinate… Read more »
If your fully vaccinated child contacted pertussis from an unvaxed child….does that seem strange? Your child is supposed to be IMMUNE with the vaccine?!?! Pls do reasearch and find out why the vaccines arnt doing their job? Just putting a blame on one child isn’t going to go very far…. We live in a world where some are vaccinated and some are not, there will never be 100% ppl vaccinated…so maybe there is more to reasearch, bc your child is going to come in contact with people their whole life that will not be vaccinated. Their are plenty of ways… Read more »
100% agree. Its the parents choice
I couldnt agree more. Parents who are pro vax, you can fight for your doctors offices and schools to not accept unvaxxinated kids. But dont go fighting for the govt to take away your rights to choose as a parent whats best for your child. Its a slippery slope- at the end of the day parents should have the right to choose the lifestyle they want for their families. They may not hve the right to bring sick kids into schools (unvaccinated kids who are sick and contagious should be kept home the same way vaccinated kids should be kept… Read more »
Vaccines are not risk free! That is why the national vaccine injury compensation program is in existence! There are very serious injuries including loss of life which they compensate 250k for. Sorry they can keep the 250k is rather have my child! We the parents and the parents alone will decide if the risk is worth the “reward” . #michaelBelkin
Parents. Teachers. Janitors. Sanitation engineers. The mailman. Cashiers at the local supermarket. Secretaries. Etc. Why are adults not pushed? If kids who are not vaccinated are not allowed in schools, why don’t they make all the teachers get vaccinated? Why don’t they check the cleaning staff’s medical records? How do you know the mailman didn’t cough on the envelope your kid brought into the house? This whole thing does not make sense. If you’re gonna do it, do it all the way! It’s all or nothing folks! I’m not saying I want all unvaxxed adults out there jobless, I just… Read more »
Don’t allow non vaccinated kids in schools!!!
Great article!!!
Was you kid vaccinated? If he was, how on earth did he get pertussis? He is immune!
Hmm. Lemme percolate that one.
When the vast majority of people are vaccinated, no one is exposed to these nasty diseases, ergo even though nothing is 100% effective, NO ONE IS GETTING THEM. The more people do not vaccinate, the more people who both are and aren’t vaccinated will be picking up these diseases. It is truly horrifying that there are people in our community who not only have such a low disregard for the health and safety of others, but seem to act like they don’t care if they or their children get sick? Or just assume it won’t “happen to them”? I hope… Read more »
The selfish parents who refuse to vaccinate aren’t only putting their kids at risk… they are potentially harming children and adults who CAN’T be vaccinated due to medical conditions. Live with that death on your conscience – because there have been deaths from measles recently.
I blame the schools. No proof of vaccination, no lessons. PERIOD.
Hi everyone,
My mother works as a nurse and saw last year a smart and Jewish park slope family lose a small child (died) becuase they did not vaccinate against completely preventable disease. (Measels). Not everything you watch on Youtube is true, nor is what you read written by some park slope brooklynite. Sorry if your that gullible.
I personally know a family where the Mother got the measles during her pregnancy and her child was born DEAF. Please, Please have your children be up to date on all their Shots!
In the same vein, perhaps everyone who vaccinates should post their names so that the rest of us can keep our kids away from your disease-spreading, shedding vaccines.
Except we actually have a different view: One of ways a human body eliminates waste and toxins is through developing acute desease (flu, colds) through which it pushes wasteful matter out of the body in a short period of time.
I’ll take acute, temporary illness over a lifetime of vaccine side effects.
we’re all pro life. We just have different understanding of what’s best for us and our kids. Fortunately, you have control over your own actions. Unfortunately for you, you don’t have control over the actions of others. Feel free to start your own island of only vaccinaters if you feel so strongly about it.
Do you know how many unvaccinated people you come in contact with every day? So many. (Most single adults are not up to date and therefore if they contract a “vaccine preventable” disease they’d be considered unvaccinated). Who served you your coffee at the coffee shop? Who made your sandwich or salad? Who cooked your steak at the restaurant? Who delivered your mail? Who cleaned your house?
Do they all need to post their confidential medical information?
Did you know that the vaccine for pertussis does not actually prevent the spread of the disease. The concept is for it to only protect the individual who received it. When it works, if someone vaccinated for it contracts pertussis, they will have no symptoms (isn’t that amazing!?) BUT they will still be contagious. They won’t know they are contagious because they have no symptoms of pertussis. They could be walking around infecting all those helpless unvaccinated babies (and those for whom the vaccine did NOT work) and not even know it! An unvaccinated person who contracts pertussis will feel… Read more »
If so then how can anyone say they caught something from an unvaccinated child. Just because a child is not vaxxed and just because a vaccinated child or medically excused (immunocompromised) child caught a “vaccine preventable illness” doesn’t follow that the illness was caught from the unvaccinated child. How can you catch something from someone if they have never come in contact with it?
It’s also the right of everyone else to keep their kids away from ones who aren’t vaccinated. So then, any parents who want to exercise their right to not vaccinate – publish your name, so we can know to stay away; and keep your kids at home, so the rest of us aren’t exposed to their walking germ factories.
Repeat after me:
Correlation is not causation.
Correlation is not causation.
Correlation is not causation.
That this unfortunate child caught one strain of measles doesn’t mean that it’s, as you would have it, “because he had all the poison of the helpless vaccines in his body.” You claim that “no one will ever know,” but we most certainly do know that vaccines are not “poison” and don’t weaken the immune system; quite the contrary.
thank you for all your hard work!
Sorry but no. We’re pro life. Not pro stupid parents wanting to put their kid or worse someone else’s at risk. Go start your own island with all the others who don’t vaccinate. See how long you all last.
Do you all realize what ur saying when you say parents who choose not to vaccinate their children should be sued? The bottom line is, you can think the parents are selfish, doctors can recommend what they want, schools can choose not to accept these children, doctors can choose not to service these children – but it is 100% legal for a parent to choose not to vaccinate their child. And we should all want parental choice to remain. The govt taking away choice from parents would eventually affect everyone. No matter if you are pro vaccine or anti vaccine,… Read more »
Fine. But then we’ll decide whether we want your children in our schools or playing with our children, etc. Keep your germs and 19th-century diseases to yourself.
Anyone who contracts measles from an unvaccinated kid
Should sue the parents. Then the school for allowing them in.
Not sure how a government website would say:
Q: If vaccines have really been so effective, why do we not see their use encouraged in the Jewish world?
A: Their use has been encouraged, and borderline mandated, by Jewish leaders; both when vaccines first came out, and by contemporary poskim. In addition, the Rebbe has written many letters encouraging their use.
To #17
How so, if he was vaccinated?
Surely this is exactly the point some parents make!
if you don’t vaccinate
please home school your children too
and don’t bring them to local stores etc…
It’s not fair to everyone else
Why wasn’t the “fully vaccinated” child protected by the holy, perfect vaccine he was given? I have a dear friend whose son was also fully vaccinated and contracted…you got it…measles. He was young and the vaccine should’ve still been effective. However, her doctor simply told her, “He has a different strain than the vaccine protects against”. To this day, she and he suffer the consequences. No one will ever know if at that young age, his compromised immune system wasn’t strong enough to fight that strain of measles – because he had all the poison of the helpless vaccines in… Read more »
Vaccines are heavy chemicals with little utility… why doesn’t the doctor review the ingredients of the vaccines and explain about the many many children injured by these vacines? The gov’t set up special vaccine courts to deal with all of these horrific injured children. Educate yourselves yidden – this is all about corporate profit…
Stupid is as stupid does
See #15
I rest my case
There is something totally insane going on in the Frum community and this is an enormous example of such
They don’t care how it affects others as long as they can spout their “beliefs” which started in Hollyweird believe it or not!!
What’s the point of the he vaccination if your son anyways caught the disease??🙄🙄
If you see that your child is not feeling well pls check his temperature first then look so some signs of Any infection and call your doctor 👨⚕, because it’s unfair to other kids be sick .too ….
measles , pertussis/whooping cough etc are all highly contagious 😷 and it’s not only other kids but pregnant teachers as well
If you don’t vaccinate your children please home school them. Don’t be selfish. My son (who was fully vaccinated) contracted pertussis from an unvaccinated classmate.
If you had even the tiniest iota or medical knowledge you would know that #5 actually makes very salient and true points. Regrading your title as a medical researcher: something tells me your research is google search based. Im a medical student, I have 7 publications to date in reputable medical journals. I am currently working on two other projects, one of which deals with scrutinizing the safety of vaccines and trying to find ways to make them even more safe. When you get on my level you can call yourself a medical researcher. Until then, keep your dangerous and… Read more »
I’ll decide for myself if I want to risk vaccinating my kids. Yes, there are very real risks, and the so called vaccine is falsified to be something it isn’t. Keep your poision.
They also put pregnant women In Danger,Infants Cancer patients and People low imune system.etc etc
HASHEM YERACHEM
In around 1957, as a young child, I almost died of measles. Thank G-d for these vaccines! Measles is no joke.
If you read this article and think “this doesn’t sound SO bad, kids will bounce back from this quickly” then please think of the pregnant women or soon to be pregnant women in our community. Even for someone who had their childhood vaccinations, there is still a risk to contract measles. If a woman contracts German measles (Rubella) while pregnant, her baby could have serious and lasting birth defects: “The most serious complication from rubella infection is the harm it can cause a pregnant woman’s developing baby. If an unvaccinated pregnant woman gets infected with rubella virus she can have… Read more »
Sorry to whomever posted comment #5 but your Q and A is incorrect on many statements. Undoubtedly you copied it from some official government website. I don’t have the time to write a corrected version now. Maybe later. Just know that it’s completely inaccurate. Good night
It shouldn’t take the death of your child (G-d for us) for you to listen to expert medical advice. No one thinks it will happen to them. PLEASE STOP BEING IGNORANT AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHILDREN!
You sound like a vacuum that sucks up everything and cannot differentiate dirt from diamonds.
In case anyone missed this original article, here are quotes and sources for the Rebbe’s opinion on vaccination: https://collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=51318
If you follow the Rebbe’s directives on all other things in life, why should this area suddenly be different…
Schools please do not allow children who are not vaccinated to come to school! It is not fair!
And kudos also to # 5 “some basic points”.
Keep up the good work!
-PH
Q: Are vaccines 100% safe? A: No. Many many high quality studies have been done, and vaccines have been shown to cause side effects in very rare situations. Most of the side effects are mild. Q: Have any of those studies shown a link between vaccination and autism? A: No. Despite extensive research and thousands of subjects, no link between vaccine and autism has ever been demonstrated. And given the persistent inability to demonstrate such a link, it is very unlikely that such a link exists. Q: But what about that original paper that proved that vaccines… Read more »
Thanks Dr. Gottesman for an excellent article which really clarifies the issue! Hopefully people will listen & vaccinate!
Good to see this site finally post the directives of a board certified pediatrician. Now I’m just gonna sit back and wait for the loony anti-vaxxers to rear their heads on this. Should be interesting to watch them try to argue with a man that has a total of 11+ years of study and training followed by many years of experience.
We are so glad to have Dr. Gottesman in crown heights !!!! Thank you !!
This is serious. Parents who don’t vaccinate put everyone’s kids in danger.