Over 5,000 in Hudson Valley Must Be Vaccinated to Attend School

Over 5,000 Hudson Valley students must be vaccinated in order to attend school in the area this fall.

An analysis released on Tuesday by the New York State Health Foundation identified key areas where a new law ending religious exemptions for measles vaccinations will likely have the most impact.

Measle, a disease the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared eliminated in the year 2000, recently reached its highest levels in 27-years in the United States, officials say. New York was the epicenter of the outbreak with over 1,000 confirmed cases, the highest number since 1992, officials say.

The New York State Health Foundation analyzed publicly available data from every county outside New York City and named Rockland County as one of the top 3 counties with the highest numbers of students using religious exemptions. Rockland County had 1,663 students using religious exemptions for vaccinations, according to the report.

“Our report reveals the areas of the State most vulnerable to a measles outbreak,” David Sandman, President and CEO of the New York State Health Foundation said. “As we look to the new school year, this analysis reveals where the new law might have its biggest impact.”

In June, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation removing non-medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements for children.

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Below is how many students in each Hudson Valley county used the religious exemptions during the 2017–18 school year, according to the New York State Health Foundation:

Rockland County: 1,663 Religious Exemptions
Orange County: 1,227 Religious Exemptions
Westchester County: 787 Religious Exemptions
Ulster County: 693 Religious Exemptions
Dutchess County: 555 Religious Exemptions
Putnam County: 180 Religious Exemptions
Columbia County: 230 Religious Exemptions
Sullivan County: 145 Religious Exemptions