New York City Threatens Forced Vaccination in Measles State of Emergency

Weeks after a New York county declared a state of emergency following dozens of measles cases and which the county administrator Ed Day issues a ban on unvaccinated children in public spaces, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has declared his own state of emergency and issued mandatory vaccination in the interest of public health.

As part of the declaration, unvaccinated people living in the Williamsburg area who may have been exposed to measles will be required to receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in order to protect others in the community and help curtail the ongoing outbreak.

Here is the Mayor’s press conference:

“There’s no question that vaccines are safe, effective and life-saving,” said Mayor de Blasio.

The insert for the MMR vaccine includes a two-page list of adverse reactions ranging from fever, headache, and irritability up to encephalitis, measles, and death. This has been reinforced by thousands of reports to the vastly under-reported VAERS.

Mayor de Blasio said that there are people spreading misinformation. “People are spreading different viewpoints but some of them are clearly false and not backed up by science…The science consistently proves that this vaccine is safe and necessary.”

There have been no long-term safety studies with the MMR vaccine using a placebo-based control group.

Under the mandatory vaccinations, members of the City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will check the vaccination records of any person who may have been in contact with infected patients. Those who have not received the MMR vaccine or do not have evidence of immunity may be given a violation and could be fined $1,000.

When asked about the legality of the order, de Blasio said that their legal team had looked at the issue extensively and was confident that they would win any legal challenge.