Intro

The number of measles cases in the United States has risen to nearly 700 — the highest annual number recorded since 2000, when the disease was declared eliminated in the country. Many of those cases can be traced to ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in New York. Guest: Sarah Maslin Nir, who covers New York City for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

Background reading:

• Officials in New York have taken extraordinary measures to fight the measles outbreak, including $1,000 fines and bans on unvaccinated children in public.
• The outbreak has Orthodox Jewish communities fearing a rise in anti-Semitism.
• How is measles transmitted? How safe is the vaccine? Here are answers to some questions about the disease.

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