A county in New York may have found the solution to limiting the safety threat unvaccinated children pose to the public.
Simply ban those children from public places.
The 30-day ban was put in place Wednesday for unvaccinated people under age 18 in Rockland County, N.Y. There's an exemption for children who are current with their vaccine schedule but not fully vaccinated against measles because they are not old enough. Fortunately, the county - just like measles and other viruses - doesn't offer an exemption for philosophical or religious views.
We admit the ban is unfair to the children, as they bear no responsibility for their predicament. But those are the cards they were dealt by their parents.
The ban will prevent those children from visiting any "place where more than 10 persons are intended to congregate," like churches, schools, restaurants, stores and buses. Unfortunately, the order does not apply to those older than 18 because officials did not want to prevent anyone from going to work.
The declaration is in response to what has become the worst outbreak of measles in the nation. Since the county's outbreak began last year, 155 cases have been confirmed.
It is part of unsettling nationwide trend in which some parents - who are relying on debunked studies and misinformation on social media - are needlessly putting our children at risk by refusing to vaccinate their own children.
Since Jan. 1, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the measles virus has been confirmed in 15 states, including Oregon and Washington. As of this past Friday, Washington had 74 cases, with all but one coming from Clark County - where, it appears, a temporary ban would serve the public.
Rockland County officials said those violating the county's ban will be subject to six months in jail and a $500 fine. During the investigation into when and where an infected individual was exposed, the parents of those identified as unvaccinated and in public places will face potential prosecution.
"We're not punishing the people who are doing the right thing already and following the rules. We just want to encourage everyone to do the right thing so we can stop this outbreak," Rockland County Director of Strategic Communications John Lyon told CNN. The step is "extremely unusual. (We) don't believe it's been done anywhere in the country before."
While the ban is a first and "unusual," we think it is a good option for other jurisdictions where parents are putting the public at risk.
