NY Ban on Unvaccinated Minors in Public Halted by Judge

Vaccinations have been one of the most hotly debated subjects in the United States over the course of  the last few years, and there is no end in sight.

An incredible plethora of resources are available for those looking into the “vaxxer versus anti-vaxxer” argument; a dichotomy that is both fierce and verbose.  Websites, Facebook groups, conventions, documentaries, and protests all come into play in the world of amateur vaccine research, amplifying the voices and opinions within to near-deafening levels.

In New York State, the controversy has taken center stage after a massive measles outbreak emerged in Rockland County.  Authorities there went to extreme lengths to prevent the spread of the disease, banning all unvaccinated minors from entering public areas.

A judge has since blocked that decree.

Judge Rolf Thorsen scheduled a hearing for April 19 and said the county is temporarily blocked from enforcing the ban.

“And petitioners’ children are hereby permitted to return to their respective schools forthwith and otherwise to assemble in public places,” he wrote.

The ruling came in response to lawsuits filed by the parents of local school children, with the parents calling the ban arbitrary and capricious and saying the county acted beyond its legal authority. The suits said the declaration caused “children to be denied attendance at nursery programs and schools and has effectively prohibited their movement and denied them the right to congregate and assemble in public places.”