The New York City Health Department is warning parents about a chickenpox outbreak that has infected 75 people in the Orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, according to CBS New York.
Of those infected, 72 percent had not been vaccinated, and 14 percent of those vaccinated did not receive the appropriate number of recommended doses. The average age of those infected is 3 years old.
Fidel Garcia, MD, medical director of PM Pediatrics of Brooklyn, told CBS New York that being near someone with chickenpox can be especially dangerous for infants, pregnant women and anyone with compromised immune systems.
"Very risky, very dangerous," he said. "It's always important to monitor for every cough, runny nose."
Recently, in Michigan, cases of the chickenpox have reportedly increased by more than 50 percent. Most of the infections have occurred in unvaccinated children.
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