A New York county hit by a measles outbreak declared a state of emergency Tuesday and banned non-vaccinated minors from public places in a bid to prevent the once-eliminated disease from spreading.
The measure, which defines a public place as anywhere "more than 10 persons are intended to congregate" -- including public transport -- was announced by officials in Rockland County, 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of New York City.
Due to come into effect at midnight Wednesday for 30 days, it appears to be the most radical step by US officials following outbreaks in several regions blamed on an anti-vaccination movement.
"We must do everything in our power to end this outbreak and protect the health of those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and that of children too young to be vaccinated," said county executive Ed Day.
Day also criticized the "resistance" of some locals to health inspectors.
"They've been told 'we're not discussing this, do not come back,' when visiting the homes of infected individuals as part of their investigations," he said, branding such responses "unacceptable and irresponsible."
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