NEW YORK, April 9 — New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a public health emergency across part of Brooklyn today, ordering all residents receive the measles vaccine in a bid to contain an outbreak of the disease.

The order concerns all people residing or working in four zipcodes of Williamsburg, northwest Brooklyn, an area with a high ultra-Orthodox Jewish population where many oppose vaccines on religious grounds.

"Those who have not received the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine or do not have evidence of immunity may be given a violation and could be fined US$1,000 (RM4,105),” said a statement from the mayor’s office. — AFP