Sullivan County Issues Vaccine Resolution for Summer Camps

The Sullivan County Legislature has proposed a resolution to require camp operators or health directors to screen all campers and staff members of both day camps and overnight camps in the county for measles before being allowed to attend the camp.

In addition, camp operators or health directors must request parents or guardians of campers to notify the camp operator or health director if the child has had any possible exposures to the measles illness twenty-one days prior to attending camp.

Parents or guardians of campers or staff members will be required to provide evidence of immunity to measles, or a valid medical exemption, to the camp operator or camp health director. A camper or staff member who has received at least a first dose of measles vaccine, and has appointment to complete a second dose of measles vaccine twenty-eight days later, and has not been recently exposed to an individual with measles, will be permitted to remain in camp.

Failure to comply may result in a fine of $2,000 for each violation issued.

The resolution will be in effect from the time the resolution is adopted until September 15, 2019. A copy of the order must be posted at the summer camps.

So far this year, Sullivan County has experienced 2 confirmed cases of measles.

Numerous summer camps which serve the Orthodox community are located in Sullivan County.