For some months now we have followed what is the worst measles outbreak in the United States in decades. Lawmakers and rulers of various cities have tried to take measures to prevent this disease from continuing, and have even declared a state of emergency, ordering mandatory vaccination in the affected areas.
Now, the governor of the state of New York has taken one more step to combat this situation: signing a new law that ends religious motives as exemptions from vaccines.
A few months ago, we shared that the Brooklyn Department of Health had sent letters to the directors of the schools in the areas affected by the measles outbreak, in which they were ordered to ask the students who were not vaccinated to remain in their houses.
The areas where the measles outbreak had occurred are areas where they live Orthodox Jewish communities, some of which do not vaccinate their children for religious reasons, who put the health of others at risk, because group immunity is not maintained, so necessary to protect people who cannot receive vaccines for health reasons.
In Babies and more WHO lists the anti-vaccine movement as one of the 10 threats to global health in 2019Now, with this new law, which was sent by the two chambers of the New York state legislature to Governor Andrew Cuomo, and who signed it as soon as he received it so that it can take effect immediately, religious reasons will cease to be one of the valid exceptions for not vaccinating school-age children.
"Although I understand and respect freedom of worship, our first job is to protect public health, and by signing this measure as a law, we will help prevent further transmissions and stop this outbreak immediately."commented the governor.
U.S It is not the first country to start taking action to try to stop measles outbreaks that have been presented all over the world. In some, they have made vaccines mandatory so that children can access the nursery, while in countries like Germany, they propose to fine up to 2,500 euros to those who do not vaccinate their children.
