Connect with us

U.S.

Unvaccinated Kids Banned From Public Spaces in Rockland County NY

Officials in Rockland County New York have imposed a 30-day state of emergency that bans unvaccinated minors from public spaces. The move comes after Rockland reported 153 measles cases, 84 percent of which were found in people 18 and under. Officials say the move is mostly to get public attention and hold parents accountable, but […]

Published

2 years ago

on

  • Officials in Rockland County New York have imposed a 30-day state of emergency that bans unvaccinated minors from public spaces.
  • The move comes after Rockland reported 153 measles cases, 84 percent of which were found in people 18 and under.
  • Officials say the move is mostly to get public attention and hold parents accountable, but if parents are caught with an unvaccinated child in public they could receive up to six months in jail or fines of $500.

State of Emergency

Officials in Rockland County New York declared a state of emergency on Tuesday that effectively bans all unvaccinated children under the age of 18 from being allowed in public places.

The state of emergency is set to last 30 days until April 25. This means that unvaccinated minors cannot be in a public space until they receive at least one vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), or until the 30 days are up.

The declaration defines a “public place” as anywhere in public where more than ten people are congregated. Notably, that includes schools, stores and restaurants, places of worship, and public transit.

The only exceptions to the ban are for the purpose of medical care, immunizations, and public appearances required by law, like attendance at court. However the declaration does require parents or guardians to call in advance and inform these places that their children are unvaccinated.

Why?

While there is no way to formally enforce the ban, officials have said that that not really the point of the declaration.

In a press conference, Rockland County Executive Ed Day said that the move is intended to get people’s attention and hold parents accountable.

“There will not be law enforcement or deputy sheriffs asking for your vaccination records, that is ridiculous,” said Day, “However, if you are found to be in violation of this declaration your case will be referred to the district attorneys office, that just comes with the emergency declaration and is prescribed by law.”

Day also said that the effort is intended to focus on the parents of unvaccinated children, stating, “We are urging them, once again, now with the authority of law, to get your children vaccinated.”

While the point of the declaration is not to crack down on people who have not vaccinated their kids, parents who are found to have allowed their unvaccinated kids in public places during the 30-day prohibition can face up to six months in jail or fines of $500

Measles Outbreak in Rockland County

The declaration comes after unprecedented outbreaks in New York City, Rockland County, and Orange County, which the state’s health commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker called “the worst measles outbreak in recent history in New York state.”


Source: CDC

Following the initial reports in January, nearly two out of every three of all measles cases were in Rockland County, which had reported at least 105 cases at the time.

In response to the outbreak, Rockland closed more than two dozen schools and daycare centers that had low vaccination rates.

In order for vaccines to be effective, around 90 percent of people have to be vaccinated. In January, it was reported that some private schools in Rockland County had vaccination rates around 50 percent.

However, since January, the situation in Rockland has only gotten worse. As of Mar. 26, the county reported 153 confirmed cases of measles.

Of those confirmed cases, over 84 percent were 18 years and younger, and 82 percent of people infected had never received an MMR vaccination.

Source: Rockland County Department of Health

While some have said Rockland’s ban is extreme, the county has tried a wide variety of actions for months, and the outbreak has only spread more.

In addition to the executive order that pulled nearly 6,000 unvaccinated children out of schools, Rockland County has also administered nearly 17,000 doses of the MRR vaccine over the course of 26 weeks.

There was also a public health campaign during which community officials, doctors, and rabbis all testified about the importance of immunizations.

Rockland has increased their vaccination rate, but only 72.9 percent of kids between the ages of one and 18 are vaccinated in the county, according to Day.

Day also said that when county officials tried to trace the outbreak, members of the community dismissed them, refused to answer questions, and hung up their phones.

Response

Many public health officials have said Rockland County’s actions make a lot of sense.

However, unsurprisingly, the ban of unvaccinated children in public spaces has already received some backlash.

Source: CDC

The outbreak is more widespread in the Orthodox Jewish community, which has a lower vaccination rate, according to Day.

A Rabbi Yakov Horowitz, who founded a yeshiva in Rockland, said while he strongly supports vaccinations, he was also concerned the declaration could lead to potential harassment and discrimination against ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Some public health law experts are also concerned that the declaration infringes on civil liberties.

Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University, questioned whether or not the move was constitutional.

“This is virtually imprisonment of a child, and certainly significantly restricting the child’s liberty,” said Gostin.

However, similar decisions in Rockland have been upheld in other cases.

Back in December, Rockland banned unvaccinated students from schools where less than 95 percent of the students were vaccinated. A group of parents responded by suing the county health department, but a federal judge ruled the school ban could stay earlier this month.

That said, this constitutional argument could be persuasive to anti-vaccination groups that would want to challenge the declaration, even if it only is for 30 days.

This is significant because Day has said he believes Rocklands ban is the first of its kind the US, and a number of public health experts have backed up that claim.

If Rockland’s prohibition works, it could set an example for other counties and states.

“I think this definitely could be a new trend as we have more unvaccinated children,” said Leila Barraza, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona’s Zuckerman College of Public Health. “If there’s evidence this has worked, then I think it will probably be tried again.”

For more information about measles visit the CDC’s website. 

See what others are saying: (NPR) (New York Times) (NBC New York)

Related Topics:

U.S.

Soldier Charged With Assault After Shoving Black Man in Viral Video

Published

7 hours ago

on

April 15, 2021

By

  • Authorities charged Army soldier Jonathan Pentland with third-degree assault and battery on Wednesday after a viral video showed him shoving a Black man while yelling at him to leave a South Carolina neighborhood.
  • Many people, including dozens who protested outside Pentland’s home this week, condemned the confrontation as another instance of someone being attacked for “walking while Black.”
  • Pentland and others claimed the unidentified man was picking a fight with neighbors, which the man denied, but police said nothing that may have happened earlier justified Pentland’s actions.
  • If convicted, Pentland faces a $500 fine and 30 days in jail.

Viral Video

A U.S. soldier was charged with assault on Wednesday after a video that circulated online showed him yelling at and shoving a Black man in a South Carolina neighborhood.

Footage of the April 8 incident was posted to social media Monday. It shows the Army soldier, Jonathan Pentland, confronting the unidentified man and telling him to leave the neighborhood. 

The other man explains that he’s just walking through the area and doing nothing wrong, but Pentland becomes increasingly aggressive. “You better walk away,” he shouts at the man after shoving him.

“You either walk away, or I’m gonna carry your ass out of here,” he continues before adding, “You’re in the wrong neighborhood motherf*ker. Get out!”

The man then tries to tell Pentland that he lives in the neighborhood, and Pentland then asks for his address, which he does not give.

The confrontation continues with Pentland cursing and getting in the man’s face. As he does so, the man says that Pentland smells drunk. 

It’s unclear what exactly led up to the confrontation, but in the video, a woman off-camera says the man “picked a fight with some random young lady that’s one of our neighbors.”

“I don’t even know who she is. Nobody picked a fight when someone ran up on me,” the man replies. Another woman off-screen then encourages the man to leave with her, saying, “What’s your name? Come on. You don’t want no trouble.”

Video Triggers Protests Outside Pentland’s Home

After this video spread online, many social media users condemned it as another instance of someone being attacked for “walking while Black.”

In fact, protesters even began demonstrating outside of Penland’s home. Those protests started off peaceful, but deputies were then called after 8 p.m. because unknown individuals vandalized the house. That forced police to shut down access to the area and remove Pentland’s family to another location.

As far as the viral video, deputies were told that the man approached “several neighbors in a threatening manner” and that someone had asked Pentland to “intervene.”

Police did confirm that there are two reports of alleged assault against the unnamed man Pentland shoved that are being investigated. However, they also added that the man has “an underlying medical condition that may explain the behavior exhibited in the alleged incidents.”

Pentland Charged

Either way, police said whatever happened earlier did not justify Pentland’s actions. He was ultimately arrested Wednesday morning and was charged with third-degree assault and battery. He faces a $500 fine and 30 days in jail if convicted.

“We’re not going to let people be bullies in our community,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said at a news conference Wednesday. “And if you are, you’re going to answer for it, and that’s what we’ve done in this case.”

On top of that, the Justice Department reportedly was investigating. Pentland’s Commanding General even issued a statement condemning his behavior, adding that Pentland “brought disrespect to @fortjackson our Army and the trust with the public we serve.”

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (ABC News) (Huffpost)

Continue Reading

U.S.

Texas Students Created Snapchat Group To ‘Slave Trade’ Black Classmates

Published

1 day ago

on

April 14, 2021

By

  • Freshmen at a Texas high school set up a Snapchat group to pretend to sell their Black classmates. 
  • A screenshot showed the group name being changed from “Slave Trade” with emojis of a Black man, a gun, and a white police officer to “[racial slur] Farm” and then “[racial slur] Auction.”
  • That image also shows a person saying they would spend $100 on a peer while a second student said they would spend $1 on another, adding “would be better if his hair wasn’t so bad.”
  • The school faced backlash for initially describing it as “an incident of cyberbullying and harassment,” without acknowledging the racism. The district later issued a stronger condemnation and said the students were disciplined but did not list specific consequences.

Racist Snapchat Group

Aledo high school students at Daniel Ninth Grade Campus in Northern Texas are making headlines for setting up a Snapchat group to pretend to sell their Black classmates. 

A screenshot reviewed by several local news outlets showed the group name being changed from “Slave Trade” with emojis of a Black man, a gun, and a white police officer to “[racial slur] Farm” and then “[racial slur] Auction.”

That image also shows a person saying they would spend $100 on a peer. A second student said they would spend $1 on another, adding “would be better if his hair wasn’t so bad.”

Screenshot of group chat message via KXAS

At least one student who was mentioned as being “sold” in the chats was later sent screenshots of the conversations.

According to a report from the Star-Telegram reported last week, when the issue was brought to Principal Carolyn Ansley, she sent parents an email that didn’t mention the Snapchat group but only cited “an incident of cyberbullying and harassment.”

That caused frustrations because parents felt the issue of racism wasn’t being addressed or acknowledged.

Mark Grubbs, a father of three former students, told KXAS he was sickened by the students’ actions. Grubbs, who is Black, also said he had taken his children out of the district over other racist incidents in the past.

“My son being called out of his name and what not and it got to the point he didn’t mind fighting and that didn’t sit right with me and my wife. My son was never a fighter,” he said.

District Responds

After the incident garnered media attention, the Aledo Independent School District issued a statement.

The district said it learned of the incident more than two weeks ago and started an investigation that involved law enforcement.

“There is no room for racism or hatred in the Aledo ISD, period,” it added. “Using inappropriate, offensive and racially charged language and conduct is completely unacceptable and is prohibited by district policy.”

District officials spoke with the students responsible as well as their parents, saying they “made it clear that statements and conduct that targets a student because of his or her race is not only prohibited but also has a profound impact on the victims.”

The district also said it assigned disciplinary consequences, though it did not explicitly state what those consequences were or state how many students were involved.

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (ABC) (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Continue Reading

U.S.

What You Need To Know About the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause

Published

2 days ago

on

April 13, 2021

By

  • The CDC and the FDA have issued a joint recommendation to pause distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine amid reports that six women experienced “extremely rare” blood clots after receiving the single-dose shot.
  • The vast majority of the 6.8 million Americans who were given the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have reported minor to no side effects, and no direct link has been established between the vaccine and blood clots at this time. 
  • The two agencies are expected to release updated guidance in the coming days.
  • Several states and cities are now automatically giving the two-dose Pfizer vaccine to people who were scheduled to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week. 

CDC and FDA Recommend J&J Vaccine Halt

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the Food and Drug Administration, released a statement Tuesday recommending a pause on the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine.

So far, 6.8 million people in the U.S. have been vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, most with zero or only mild side effects.

The updated guidance comes after six women, all between the ages of 18 to 48, experienced what both agencies described as “extremely rare” blood clots six to 13 days after being vaccinated. One of those women has died and another is in critical condition.

Neither the CDC nor the FDA has confirmed that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the cause of these blood clots; rather, they said this guidance comes “out of an abundance of caution.”

That’s also in line with Johnson & Johnson itself, which said it’s aware of the reports but added that “no clear causal relationship has been established between these rare events.” As a precaution, Johnson & Johnson has also now delayed the rollout of its vaccine in Europe. 

What Happens From Here?

Principal Deputy Director of the CDC Anne Schuchat said further recommendations will come quickly.

FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock echoed that statement, saying, “We expect it to be a matter of days for this pause.”

Wednesday, a CDC committee will convene to discuss the cases and assess their potential significance.

When asked if the government was overreacting to just six cases out of nearly 7 million vaccinations (a criticism made by some online), Schuchat said the CDC pulled its recommendation specifically because the type of blood clots seen in these 6 women requires special treatment, so “it was of the utmost importance to us to get the word out.”

In the meantime, both agencies are urging Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients to contact their doctors if they experience any combination of severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath. 

What If I Had A J&J Appointment?

Both agencies, as well as other health officials, are still urging unvaccinated people to take the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines when available in their area.

The White House’s COVID-19 response coordinator has said that 28 million doses of those vaccines will be made available this week. Notably, that’s more than enough for the country to continue giving 3 million shots a day. 

If you had an appointment scheduled to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you’re likely not completely out of luck.

For example, while D.C. vaccination sites are canceling all Johnson & Johnson appointments between Tuesday and this Saturday, the health department there has said it’ll send out invitations on Wednesday to reschedule.

Similar situations were reported in Virginia and Maryland, though some vaccination sites in Maryland are still honoring existing appointments by automatically giving people Pfizer instead. That’s also a process that is now being conducted in places like New York State and Memphis.

See what others are saying: (Associated Press) (NBC News) (The Washington Post)

Continue Reading