Measles cases found at New York City migrant shelter
By MARK PRUSSIN, DERICK WALLER
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NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — At least two cases of measles have been found in people staying at a shelter for migrants in New York City.
The infected people are staying at the Hall Street shelter in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. It’s one of the shelters the city calls a Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center (HERRC) and is a temporary place to stay for new arrivals.
The two people who tested positive are being quarantined on one floor of the building.
Two people staying at NYC shelter diagnosed with measles “The Health Department and Health + Hospitals are coordinating to ensure that anyone who’s been exposed gets the support and resources they need,” said a statement from New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan.
People at the shelter who may have been exposed will be tested to verify if they were vaccinated for measles. Those who were not will have to quarantine for three weeks.
A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams says migrants are offered vaccines when they arrive in New York City, but they are not mandatory.
“The risk to the community is low” “While measles may be an extremely contagious virus, the risk to the community is low as most New Yorkers are vaccinated against it,” Vasan’s statement continued. “Importantly, measles is preventable. The single best way to prevent measles is to be vaccinated. We encourage anyone who has not been vaccinated against measles to contact a health care provider to get a vaccine.”
The risk of contracting measles is “extremely” low after getting vaccinated, according to health officials.
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