Yeshivos face fines for not providing records of students' vaccination rates

News 12 Nine yeshivas in Rockland County are facing fines for not complying with an order put out by the Health Department regarding the measles outbreak. Several hearings are being held at the Pomona Health Complex between county lawyers and schools that failed to give health officials a list of students who are not fully vaccinated against the measles.

The county says nine private schools in Rockland are not in compliance. They face a penalty of $2,000 a day since Nov. 16, when the health commissioner issued the order.



The Department of Health has ordered schools in New Square, Spring Valley and Monsey with less than an 80 percent MMR vaccination rate to keep unvaccinated and under-vaccinated students home until 21 days have passed since the last confirmed measles case in Rockland.

Under state law, schools are required to provide health officials with records of students' vaccination rates. However, some schools have failed to do so.

There are currently 95 confirmed cases of measles in Rockland County, as well as seven suspected cases.

Officials say the measles outbreak is still ongoing, and that schools can no longer put people in danger.

"Whatever we have to do to ensure that the law is complied with. No. 1 - if that includes fines in the tens of thousands of dollars, so be it. If they still ignore us, we will go to court. If we have to shut the school down, we will shut the school down,” says Rockland County Executive Ed Day.

Some schools face fines upward of $60,000.

The Board of Health is scheduled to meet Wednesday to decide what fines the schools will be forced to pay.