A judge in New York City denied parents' request to lift the city's mandatory vaccination order amid a measles outbreak, reports Reuters.
Five parents anonymously filed a lawsuit April 15 against the New York City Health Department over the city's decision to make measles vaccinations mandatory for some ZIP codes.
Judge Lawrence Knipel issued a six-page decision April 18, upholding the mandate. He ruled it was within the health department's powers to issue the order and disputed parents' claims that it was excessive or coercive.
The city's measles outbreak has sickened 359 people since October 2018. The outbreak has primarily affected the area's Orthodox Jewish community, many of whom choose not to vaccinate their children.