Infectious disease specialists from Maimonides Health are urging Brooklyn residents to update their immunizations following a significant resurgence of measles and low childhood vaccination rates across the borough.
Dr. Edward Chapnick and Dr. Rabia Agha reported that a decline in public adherence to recommended vaccine schedules has led to unnecessary illnesses and deaths from highly preventable diseases.
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According to health data from December 2025, only 52% of Brooklyn children between the ages of 24 and 35 months had completed the recommended combined seven-vaccine series by their second birthday.
The drop in immunization coverage coincides with a broader national resurgence of measles, a disease that federal health authorities previously declared eradicated in the United States in the year 2000.
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Official records show that the United States recorded more than 2,200 confirmed measles cases and three deaths in 2025, with the highly contagious disease continuing to spread among unvaccinated populations.
Medical professionals noted that public familiarity with routine illnesses like influenza, Covid-19, RSV, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis has diminished the perceived threat of these dangerous conditions.
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The specialists emphasized that declining vaccination rates increase overall transmission risks, directly threatening vulnerable groups who cannot receive vaccines, such as newborns and cancer patients.
