WESTFIELD — On Monday, during a regular meeting of the Westfield Board of Health, local officials announced that measles are on the rise in the United States for the first time in over five years.
According to information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the country saw a massive spike in recorded cases of the virus in 2019 after more than 1,270 people (most of whom originated from Orthodox Jewish communities in New York) tested positive for the disease. And while this year’s numbers (125 reported as of the date of publication) are nowhere near as high, there is still cause for concern among unvaccinated populations.
“At this point, we know that 65 percent of children under the age of 5 who contract the virus are ending up in the hospital,” Health Officer Megan Avallone said, adding that there has not been any cases reported in the local area as of yet.
The CDC attributes the recent increase in documented cases to internationally- dwindling vaccination rates. Most of the cases that have been reported in 2024 have been documented in Chicago.
The board also cautioned residents against drinking non-pasteurized milk (raw milk that has not been treated against bacteria) due to a recent uptick in Avian Flu (H1N1) that has been detected in dairy cows throughout the country. “So far, we only have one reported human case in Texas, which is good, but this is just something to be aware of,” Ms. Avallone said. “We have received confirmation from the CDC that pasteurized milk is still completely safe to drink, but there is some concern that this virus could be present in raw milk.”
Unpasteurized milk, Ms. Avallone continued, is illegal in New Jersey but is often purchased in Pennsylvania.
The board also introduced two ordinances on Monday night — one that would codify salaries and ben- efits for non-union health department employees and another that would require a deeper level of inspection for food trucks looking to operate within the town limits.
Further, the board encouraged residents to participate in a community- based health assessment that currently is being held under the direction of the Union County Board of County Commissioners.
Ms. Avallone explained that the voluntary survey will help local providers to better address service gaps and other challenges within Union County.
“This is a very important census that will help us to figure out where our services are lacking,” she said. “It only takes about 15 minutes to complete and it has a large impact.”
The survey, which can be found at tinyurl.com/2udbf5c, invites participants to weigh in on topics ranging from the accessibility of mental- health services, specialists and providers in the local region to overall community health and wellness. Participants also will be asked to rank their opinions of mitigating factors such as environmental issues and socio-economic challenges as they pertain to health care and equitable access.
The survey is open to all residents of Fanwood, Garwood, Mountainside, New Providence, Roselle Park, Summit and Westfield and is available in English, Spanish, French, Polish and Hindi.
The next meeting of the Westfield Board of Health is scheduled to be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 3, in the council chambers of the town hall.
