Long Island lacks herd immunity for measles — check your ZIP code
While the region’s MMR vaccination rate is still low, Long Islanders are vaccinating their children more than in some other parts of the state. Credit: AFP via Getty Images/Joseph Prezioso
In the wake of a Texas child’s death from measles — the first death from the disease in a decade — the New York State Health Department is ramping up its efforts to combat the deadly disease.
New York has just two measles cases currently, both in New York City. But there’s concern that the state and Long Island are not protected at a level that would induce "herd immunity" — the level which prevents the virus from spreading widely therefore protecting those who can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons or are too young to get the shot. Herd immunity requires at least 95% coverage.
But the statewide vaccination rate — calculated based on children ages 24 to 35 months who got their first measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine dose by age 2 — is just 81.2%. The vaccination rates for Nassau and Suffolk — 82% and 82.6%, respectively — are barely higher. The data was updated on Jan. 1.
A deeper dive into the region’s ZIP codes shows some pockets of Long Island that have far lower vaccination rates. The lowest rate in Nassau or Suffolk counties is in the Sea Cliff and Glen Cove ZIP code 11579, where just 53.1% of children 24 to 35 months old received one MMR shot before they turned 2. Not far ahead is Great Neck’s 11024 ZIP code, with a vaccination rate of 57.1%.
In Suffolk County, the ZIP code with the lowest rate is 11963 in Sag Harbor, with just 58.3% coverage.
At the other end of the spectrum is Old Bethpage’s 11804 ZIP code, which boasts a 97.4% MMR vaccination rate. Only one other ZIP code, Islip Terrace’s 11752, has a vaccination rate above 90%.
While the region’s vaccination rate is still low, Long Islanders are vaccinating their children more than in some other parts of the state. Yates County posted a 55.8% vaccination rate, the lowest of any county. But in Rockland County, with a 62% rate, there was worse news. ZIP code 10952, home to Monsey, posted a vaccination rate of just 41.4%, likely reflecting the generally lower vaccination rates in many Orthodox Jewish communities. And in Orange County, with a countywide rate at 64.9%, among the ZIP codes that posted particularly low rates was 10950, home to Monroe and Kiryas Joel, with a 36.2% rate.
The Health Department recommends the first dose of the MMR vaccine when a child is 12 to 15 months old, and a second shot when a child is between 4 and 6 years of age.
