HEALTH DEPARTMENT ALERTS RESIDENTS OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL-RELATED MEASLES IN ROCKLAND

International Traveler with a Confirmed Case of Measles

NEW CITY, NY – – Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert advise residents that an international traveler who has been confirmed to have measles visited Congregation Khal Torath Viznitz in Monsey, potentially exposing others to measles from September 20 to September 21.

Anyone who visited Congregation Khal Torath Viznitz at 25 Phyllis Terrace in Monsey during
these times may have been exposed to measles:

• Friday, September 20, from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm, with a risk of exposure until 12:00 am.
• Saturday, September 21, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, with a risk of exposure until 3:00 pm.

“We continue to urge residents to check their immunization status and get vaccinated if they are unimmunized. By avoiding having pockets of susceptible individuals, we can prevent the measles from spreading further within our County. The MMR vaccination remains the only safe and effective way to prevent the measles,” said County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on earth; 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the virus become infected. You can catch measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, up to 2 hours after that person is gone. You can catch measles from an infected person even before they have a measles rash. Symptoms include a fever, rash, cough, conjunctivitis or runny nose. Symptoms usually appear 10-12 days after exposure but may appear as early as 7 days and as late as 21 days after exposure. Due to Rockland County’s small geographic size, exposure to the measles may occur anywhere in Rockland.

“To be clear, this new case and exposure are not connected to our previous measles outbreak which ended last month. As the disease continues to spread around the world, it is not surprising to see yet another imported case here in Rockland. Utilizing the strategies developed during our outbreak the Department of Health will continue to investigate this case and monitor anyone who may have been exposed to the measles,” said County Executive Ed Day.

Individuals are considered protected or immune to measles if they were born before 1957, have received two doses of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, have had physician or provider-confirmed measles, or have a lab test confirming immunity. Individuals who are not immune to measles and were exposed are at risk for developing measles.

If you were at this location during these dates, especially if you are in any of the following high-risk groups, contact your health care provider by phone right away (call before going for care):

• Pregnant
• A child under 6 months of age
• Immunocompromised or immunosuppressed (when your body can’t fight disease)
• Have not been vaccinated against the measles
• Were born before 1957 and are immunosuppressed

Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccines are available for residents by calling the Rockland County Department of Health at 845-364-2497 or 845-364-2520. In addition, MMR vaccines are available at local health care providers or by calling a local federally qualified health center, such as Refuah or Hudson River Health Care.

We need your help to contain the spread of measles. If you are ill with a fever, rash, or conjunctivitis (red watery eyes) – help protect our community by staying home, not having visitors, and not going out in public. To further prevent the spread of illness, the Department is advising individuals who have symptoms consistent with measles to contact their health care provider, a local clinic, or a local emergency department before going for care. This will help to prevent others at these facilities from being exposed to the illness.

Residents can get more information about measles by visiting https://bit.ly/2zh4v1G and by calling the New York State Department of Health toll free Measles Information Line at (888) 364-4837.