Six children in New York City were diagnosed with measles Oct. 16 after one child brought back the illness from Israel, according to NBC 4 New York.
New York City health officials said the child went to Israel, was exposed to a measles outbreak and returned to the Orthodox Jewish community of Williamsburg, N.Y. Five other children have since been diagnosed with measles. The children range in age from 11 months to 4 years old. Five of the children were not vaccinated against measles. One child was hospitalized with pneumonia, and another has an ear infection.
About a dozen other New York state residents, living outside of New York City, were also diagnosed with measles. Of these individuals, five contracting the measles after traveling to Israel and six were exposed to infected people in the U.S.
The New York City health department held a meeting in Williamsburg Oct. 18 with rabbis and elected officials to increase awareness about measles.
"Although measles is preventable, too many families are choosing to not vaccinate or delay vaccination, putting their children and other children at risk," Oxiris Barbot, MD, New York City's acting health commissioner, told NBC 4 New York.
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