Mumps Outbreak Nearby in Crown Heights

Parents with kids on alternative vaccine schedules may want to think twice before delaying the MMR vaccine: a recent outbreak of mumps among Orthodox Jewish men has hit Crown Heights, just north of us across Empire. The Daily News reports:

The mumps epidemic started last summer at a camp for Orthodox Jewish boys in Sullivan County after an 11-year-old boy was diagnosed with the disease. He had recently returned from England, where 4,000 people were hit with the mumps.

Kids in New York City caught the mumps at camp, then brought them back home to mommy and daddy. At first the disease was concentrated in Borough Park, but it has since spread to other Orthodox enclaves. Read: Crown Heights.

In response to the epidemic, the NYC Health Department is now offering free vaccinations for adults. Info here.