Rockland County Orders Mandatory Vaccinations for Summer Campers, Staff

In their ongoing efforts to combat the outbreak of measles in the region, Rockland County officials have ordered mandatory measles vaccinations for summer camps. The announcement of vaccine requirement applies to day camps, traveling summer day camps, and children’s overnight camps, and applies both for campers and staff members. Religious vaccine exemptions will not be accepted.

Rockland has had 255 confirmed cases of measles since the recent outbreak began in October when some tourists from Israel visited the county.

The outbreak has affected mainly the Orthodox Jewish community in Spring Valley and Monsey, where the county has imposed an exclusion order mandating that anyone infected with or exposed to the measles stay home or face fines.

“It has been found that a meaningful portion of the county’s residents are not vaccinated against the measles, which permits the outbreak to continue,” Day has stated in the past. “The county is experiencing an outbreak larger in size and duration than any outbreak of measles in this state in 30 years and longer in duration than any outbreak in the country.”

“The Rockland County Department of Health continues to go above and beyond in our fight to control and contain this outbreak,” said Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert. “This is just the latest in a long line of protective measures we have put in place to protect all of our residents, particularly children, from measles.

“Being up-to-date with your measles vaccination is the best way to help protect yourself, your family, and the community, especially those who cannot get vaccinated because they are too young or have specific health conditions.”