Rockland County Health Department are notifying residents of possible measles exposures in Spring Valley and New City on April 4 and April 5. As of April 11, there are 180 confirmed reported cases of measles in the county.

Anyone who visited the following locations or used the following taxis at these times may have been exposed to measles:

– Spring Valley Drug Pharmacy, located at 180 E. Central Avenue, Spring Valley, NY 10977 on Thursday, April 4 from 1:44 pm to 1:46 pm with risk of exposure until 3:46 pm, and on Friday, April 5 from 2:10 pm to 2:30 pm with a risk of exposure until 4:30 pm.

– Hudson Valley Radiology, located at 18 Squadron Blvd., New City NY 10956 on Thursday, April 4 from 4:30 pm to 5:15 pm, with risk of exposure until 7:15 pm.

– International Taxi that initially traveled to Hudson Valley Radiology, located at 18 Squadron Blvd., New City NY 10956 on Thursday, April 4 from 3:50 pm to 4:30 pm with a risk of exposure until 6:30 pm.
International Taxi that initially traveled from Hudson Valley Radiology, located at 18 Squadron Blvd., New City NY 10956 on Thursday, April 4 from 5:15 pm to 5:45 pm with a risk of exposure until 7:45 pm.

– La Familia Taxi that initially traveled from Refuah Health Center, located at 728 N. Main Street, Spring Valley, NY 10977 on Thursday, April 4 from 1:00 pm to 1:06 pm with a risk of exposure until 3:06 pm.
These times reflect the period that the infected individuals were in these areas and a two-hour period after they left the areas, because the virus remains in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours. If you were present at these locations during these times, especially if you are in any of the following high-risk groups, contact your health care provider by phone right away (call before going for care):

-Pregnant
– A child under 6 months of age
– Immunocompromised or immunosuppressed (when your body can’t fight disease)
– Have not been vaccinated against the measles
– Were born before 1957 and are immunosuppressed

“High community vaccination rates help protect people who cannot get vaccinated because they are too young or have specific health conditions. The best way to help protect yourself and the community is to remain up-to-date with your measles vaccination,” said Dr. Ruppert.

Free measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccines are available for residents six months and older on Friday, April 12, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the Monsey WIC office, located at 23 Robert Pitt Drive, Suite 103 in Monsey, NY 10952. Free MMR vaccines are also available by calling:

– The Rockland County Department of Health at 845-364-2497 or 845-364-2520 to schedule an appointment to get a free MMR vaccine at the Pomona health complex.

– The Rockland County Department of Health Spring Valley Family Planning Clinic is also providing MMR vaccines, by appointment to Family Planning patients. Family Planning Clinic patients can call 845-364-2531 to schedule an appointment.

In addition, MMR vaccines are available at local health care providers or by calling a local federally qualified health center, such as Refuah or Hudson River Health Care. The federally qualified health centers see patients on a sliding fee scale and by appointment. They may require patients new to their centers to have a well visit first, before a vaccine can be given. Visit http://www.nachc.org/about/about-our-health-centers/find-a-health-center/. to find the locations of federally qualified health centers in Rockland.

The Health Department is actively working to contain the further spread of measles. As a result, if you are ill with a fever, rash, or conjunctivitis (red watery eyes) – help protect our community by staying home, not having visitors, and not going out in public. To further prevent the spread of illness, the Department is advising individuals who have symptoms consistent with measles to contact their health care provider, a local clinic, or a local emergency department before going for care. This will help to prevent others at these facilities from being exposed to the illness.

The Health Department is asking all health care providers to immediately report all cases of suspect measles to the Rockland County Department of Health Communicable Disease Program staff by calling (845) 364-2997 during normal business hours, or (845) 364-8600 after hours/weekends. Health Care Providers can also call this number for additional information.

Residents can get more information about measles by visiting http://rocklandgov.com/departments/health/measles-information/. and by calling the New York State Department of Health toll free Measles Information Line at (888) 364-4837.