New York State Senator Simcha Felder is sponsoring a public no-cost measles immunity test in partnership with Premium Health in Boro Park as part of the ongoing effort in the city to stop the spread of the illness.
“Measles is highly contagious. Once exposed, you could spread the virus days before showing signs of having contracted it,” Felder pointed out in a statement.
“The Department of Health recommends confirming your immunity level with a titers test, so that people with diminished immunity can protect themselves with a vaccination.
“We are happy to offer you this simple blood test, at no cost, to confirm your immunity. Stay healthy, and help stop the spread of measles,” Felder urged.
The test will take place next Thursday, June 13, from 10am to 1pm, but appointments are required, so those who are interested in checking to see whether they are immune to measles are asked to call 718-253-2015 to set a time for the test.
As of Monday (June 3), there were 566 confirmed cases of measles in New York City since September 2018, according to the New York City Health Department. “Most of these cases have involved members of the Orthodox Jewish community,” according to the NYC Health Department website. As of Wednesday (June 5), there were 318 confirmed cases of measles in New York State outside of New York City, including 256 cases in Rockland County alone.
As of June 3, 27,074 doses of the MMR vaccine had been administered to people under the age of 19 in the Williamsburg and Borough Park neighborhoods in Brooklyn since October 2018.
“If the Health Department identifies a person with measles or an unvaccinated child exposed to measles in [11205, 11206, 11211 or 11249], that individual or their parent or guardian could be fined $1,000,” according to the NYC Health Department website.
Elsewhere in the city, the Health Department recommends that infants ages 6 to 11 months receive an extra, early dose of the MMR vaccine. “This dose would not count toward the routine MMR vaccine series, and will need to be repeated after the child’s first birthday,” the website said.