News : POLITICO New York Playbook: Vaccine exemptions eyed again as polio spreads

Monday, October 3, 2022

POLITICO New York Playbook: Vaccine exemptions eyed again as polio spreads

Oct 03, 2022

By Erin Durkin, Anna Gronewold and Julian Shen-Berro

For the newly resurrected polio virus now circulating in New York the solution is pretty simple: widespread vaccination can keep these throwback diseases at bay.

That's why state lawmakers took action in 2019, in response to the measles outbreak, to ban religious and philosophical exemptions from required vaccination for kids to attend school. Here's the problem: As religious exemptions went away, medical exemptions skyrocketed at a number of private schools, leaving unvaccinated kids in classrooms.

It's a case of "obvious" fraud, said Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, sponsor of the legislation banning religious exemptions. In 2019, our Julian Shen-Berro reports, no school had a medical exemption rate more than 0.2 percent of its student population. By the following school year, more than 1,000 schools, mostly private and religious schools, reported medical exemptions exceeding the previous 0.2 percent high. Twenty-one schools reported exemption rates above 5 percent, five above 20 percent, and one school reached as high as 36 percent.

Genuine medical exemptions are exceedingly rare, and are usually associated with issues like severe allergies or certain seizure disorders. State Sen. Brad Hoylman, another sponsor of the 2019 law, said high rates of unvaccinated children at individual schools could act as a "tinder keg," leading to a wider outbreak.

Rockland County, in particular, has been an epicenter of both the measles outbreak and the latest resurgence of polio, as our Shannon Young reports . The county had a polio vaccination rate among 2-year-olds of just 60 percent as of August, one of the lowest in the state. "You have a situation with polio in the same counties that three, four years ago had a measles outbreak: two diseases where vaccines are incredibly effective in preventing illness," said former Health Commissioner Howard Zucker. "The fact that the wastewater is positive for the virus says clearly, there's not enough people immunized against polio in these counties."

IT'S MONDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: EDurkin@politico.com and agronewold@politico.com, or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold

WHERE'S KATHY? Making a Long Island Rail Road announcement.

WHERE'S ERIC? Meeting with Mayor Konrad Fijolek of Rzeszow, Poland, making an economic development announcement, hosting a meeting of the Mayor's Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, speaking to students at an educational screening of Till at the New York Film Festival, speaking at the Health Department's Covid-19 recognition and remembrance event, attending a slain EMT's wake, and hosting a community conversation on public safety.

PHOTO OF THE DAY: A baby feeds Mayor Eric Adams a french fry.

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What City Hall's reading

"Eric Adams Confidant Is Among New York's Highest Paid Public Employees," by The New York Times' Michael Rothfeld, Dana Rubinstein and William K. Rashbaum: "The close confidant who New York City Mayor Eric Adams put on the payroll of the city's economic development corporation earlier this year is earning more than $242,000 in salary — making him among the highest paid employees in city government, according to city records and documents released late Friday afternoon. Timothy Pearson, a retired police inspector who was already drawing a New York Police Department pension, was hired by the New York City Economic Development Corporation on May 31, while retaining his prior job as head of security at the city's only casino. But in July and August, aides to Mr. Adams refused to disclose Mr. Pearson's city salary — information that is typically public — in response to inquiries from The New York Times."

"Mayor Adams close to deal for Norwegian Cruise ship to house migrants in NYC waters," by the New York Post's Bernadette Hogan, Valentina Jaramillo and Bruce Golding: "Mayor Eric Adams is finalizing a deal with the Norwegian Cruise Line to house migrants on one of its massive cruise ships and dock it at Staten Island's Homeport, The Post has learned. Adams wants to lease the luxury liner for at least six months and use it to house and process migrants before they enter the city's shelter system, a source familiar with the matter said Friday. The migrants would be allowed to come and go while staying on the ship, the source said.

— Adams dismisses criticism of asylum seeker contractor that worked on Trump-era border wall, by POLITICO's Joe Anuta: The Adams administration on Friday shot down criticism that a contractor for his Bronx facility for asylum seekers also worked on the Trump-era border wall … "This contractor has worked on so many projects. I don't know what they're voting pattern is, if they vote for Trump or not," Mayor Eric Adams said at an unrelated press briefing. "It's like someone drives Trump in a cab — do we all of a sudden not take that cab again? These are professionals that have done a good job in many projects in this city."

— " New Urgent Problem Facing Migrants in NYC Shelters: Babies Aren't Getting Enough Food," by NBC 4's Melissa Russo: "Asylum seeker families say they are struggling to keep their children adequately fed in the NYC shelters. News 4's Melissa Russo reports. Mayor Eric Adams has drawn criticism lately, after the city's plans to build a tent city for asylum seekers in the Bronx, as well as the latest reported plan to house migrants on one of Norwegian Cruise Line's luxury vessels upon arrival in the Big Apple. But the NBC New York I-Team has uncovered a more immediate problem facing the city and the migrants who have overwhelmed the shelter system: Many of the babies in the system are not getting enough to eat. During dinnertime at the Queens Travel Lodge, a baby boy has already finished his bottle of milk. He's still hungry, but his mother says at this shelter there are no refills."

— The Bronx tent city is expected to open this week.

— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the plan for the Orchard Beach tent camp.

New York City casino process set to take next step forward, by POLITICO's Joseph Spector: Coney Island. Midtown Manhattan. Queens. Long Island. Yonkers. Staten Island. Those are some of the places that developers and casino operators are eyeing as the state's process to select up to three New York City area casinos takes the next critical step Monday toward awarding new gambling licenses in the nation's largest untapped market. The state Gaming Commission is set to meet Monday, ahead of a Tuesday legal deadline to appoint the majority of the five-member Gaming Facility Location Board, which will craft the formal solicitation inviting companies to apply. The biggest operators in the world will submit bids in the coming months with the promise of building new casino destinations that would rival those across the country, particularly in nearby Atlantic City.

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

"'4-alarm blaze': New York's public health crises converge," by POLITICO's Erin Banco: Despite being bolstered by more public health funding per capita than most states, New York public health officials are trying to cope with the threat of three simultaneous disease outbreaks, according to interviews conducted over the last two months with more than six New York state health officials and public health experts. The strain, coupled with a lack of available shots nationally, limited the department's ability to quickly distribute the monkeypox vaccine in the early days of the outbreak. It also slowed the office's efforts to innovate ways for New Yorkers to access geographic-based health information and to finalize a critical review, known in public health as a "hot wash," of its Covid work that would inform its future responses. "They're basically leaning on a skeleton crew of people and then have to deal with one emergency after the other," said Jay Varma, director of the Center for Pandemic Prevention and Response at Weill Cornell Medicine. "The reality is they should be getting a lot more money and all the other states should be getting more, too."

" State agrees to establish 40-hour work week for farm laborers," by Times Union's Joshua Solomon: "Farm laborers are set to be paid overtime for hours beyond a 40-hour work week by 2032 following a decision issued Friday by state Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. The expected decision was celebrated by the labor sector for bringing economic and health equality to the workers but detested by the agricultural industry as another step toward pushing family farms out of business. State officials are expected to phase in the new overtime laws over the next decade. The additional costs to farm owners will be subsidized by New York taxpayers based on tax credits pushed by Gov. Kathy Hochul this year in the state budget. The tax credits could be rescinded by a different administration."

"NY Republican, Conservative Parties sue to upend absentee ballot counting in general election," by WNYC's Brigid Bergin and Jon Campbell: "Republican and Conservative Party leaders filed a lawsuit this week challenging the state's laws governing who is eligible for an absentee ballot in New York and how they're processed, prompting concerns from voting rights advocates and election administrators that it could sow chaos just weeks ahead of the general election. The lawsuit, if successful in court, could have a dramatic effect on the November election. Along with challenging a 2022 law that expedites absentee ballot canvassing, the lawsuit seeks to throw out another recent law allowing people to vote absentee if they fear contracting a disease like COVID-19. That could have the effect of invalidating large numbers of absentee ballots that have already been requested and, in some cases, mailed back."

"Andrew Cuomo returns to public eye, joins Puerto Rico aid effort in Bronx," by New York Post's Georgia Worrell and Rich Calder: "Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo made his first public appearance Saturday since recently announcing his return to public life, showing up in the Bronx to join a relief effort for Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. 'I want to say to the people of Puerto Rico that the people of New York State are with you always, on good days and bad days; we have your back because we are family,' crowed Cuomo, sounding like he was still in office."

#UpstateAmerica: A Williamsville man set the national record for heaviest pumpkin on Saturday with his 2,554 pound squash.

FROM THE DELEGATION

"Westchester doctor seeks to topple 'Squad' member Rep. Jamaal Bowman," by New York Post's Carl Campanile: "A pediatrician who served as the mayor of Scarsdale is launching a long-shot bid to topple New York's newest 'Squad' member, Rep. Jamaal Bowman. Dr. Miriam Levitt Flisser, a registered independent running on the Republican Party line, said Bowman is too far to the left of residents in the district on issues such as crime, border security, the economy and defending Israel."

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Rep. Pat Ryan is leading Republican opponent Colin Schmitt by a 47 percent to 40 percent margin in the race for the 18th Congressional District, according to an internal poll by Ryan's campaign. It's a reversal from August when similar polling found Ryan trailing 41 percent to 45 percent. Ryan won the Hudson Valley seat in an August special election over Marc Molinaro, and is now competing for a full term against Schmitt, an assemblymember. The poll finds that Ryan is leading despite the fact that voters prefer a generic Republican over a generic Democrat by a two-point margin, but Republicans at 80 percent are more likely to say they're very motivated to vote in November than Democrats at 72 percent. — Erin Durkin

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

AROUND NEW YORK

— The minimum wage outside New York City and its immediate suburbs will increase to $14.20 an hour on Dec. 31.

— The NYPD is investigating a possible bias incident after red paint was sprayed on the Russian consulate.

— The Department of Corrections' new head of training quit the post after only nine days.

— Hiring troubles have delayed a mental health program aimed at New York teens.

— Members of the state's beleaguered Stretch Limousine Passenger Safety Task Force said they never voted to approve the final report.

— NYT says "New York City Is a Trivia Town."

— New York is the nation's fourth-largest wine producer, but NYC isn't clamoring for the homegrown stuff.

— New York's $25,519-per-pupil school spending is nearly double the national average, according to a Citizens Budget Commission report.

— A local City Council member is opposing a bus lane project on Fordham Road.

— A tourist was slashed in the face and robbed in Times Square early Saturday morning.

— The city paid out 794.4 million in legal judgments and claims last fiscal year, a big jump from the previous year.

— Eric Adams expressed support for two City Council bills that would require officials to study the flow of illicit firearms into the city and set the boundaries of a Times Square gun free zone.

— United Airlines will end service at JFK Airport.

— A new curbside composting program in Queens will kick off today.

— Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn is expected to soon be reelected as county leader of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.

— A new online database allows New Yorkers to search police officer misconduct records.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rev. Al Sharpton … Tusk Strategies' Cristóbal Alex … Sarah Feinberg … Rolling Stone's Asawin Suebsaeng … AP's Darlene Superville and Verena Dobnik … CNN's Maegan Vazquez … The Daily Beast's Ursula Perano … Insider's Kimberly Leonard … Sarah Feinberg … Chelsea Radler … Bradley Tusk … Joshua Chaffee … Maury Nolen … Benjamin Goldschmidt … Daniel Marks Cohen … Rabbi Dovid M. Cohen (h/ts Jewish Insider) …

… (was Sunday): NYT's Lynsea Garrison … Michelle Sara King of the International Trade Administration … General Dave Walker … Ed Cox … NPR's David Gura

… Donna Karan … Annie Leibovitz … Annie Keating … (was Saturday): Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) … WSJ's Ben Pershing … CNN's Brian Todd and Evan Semones … Alex Gleason of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies … Michael Knopf … Jose Del Real

MAKING MOVES — Matt Homer, former executive deputy superintendent of the Research and Innovation Division at the New York Department of Financial Services, is joining Tusk Strategies' crypto and fintech practice as a senior advisor … Per Nick Niedzwiadek in West Wing Playbook: "Hannah Klain, the daughter of White House chief of staff Ron Klain, recently joined New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's staff as an assistant counsel. … The younger Klain started Sept. 19, according to the governor's office, after wrapping up a clerkship in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals under Judge Stephen Higginson."

Real Estate

"More Downtown, More Tech Workers, More Dishwashers — New York Luxury Housing Is a Changed Market Post-Pandemic," Mansion Global's V.L. Hendrickson: "The shift in New York has also seen a wave of buyers, particularly younger professionals, moving downtown, according to Gea Elika, the principal broker at ELIKA Real Estate, which exclusively represents buyers. 'We've had a massive population shift,' he explained. 'It's huge…we're living history because you go on the streets and the people are younger. And there are younger buyers and more affluent younger buyers. It's like nothing I've ever seen before.' There's also been a change in buyers' professions, said Vickey Barron, an agent at Compass. 'It used to be Wall Street and now it's tech,' she said. 'New York is becoming a little Silicon Valley.'"

"NYC's Four Seasons hotel in standoff with Beanie Babies mogul — and could stay shut for years," by New York Post's Lisa Fickenscher: "New York's Four Seasons Hotel has remained conspicuously closed since the start of the pandemic — and insiders say it risks staying shuttered for years because of an increasingly bizarre dispute with the billionaire founder of the Beanie Babies toy empire. The luxury icon designed by architect I.M. Pei at 57 East 57th St. — whose lavish Ty Warner penthouse suite was charging $50,000 a night before the hotel was shuttered in March 2020 — has come to resemble an abandoned building. The 54-story tower's grand, Art Nouveau-inspired entryways are blocked off by metal pedestrian barricades."

"Advocates call on Columbia to provide affordable housing to its Morningside Heights neighbors," by WNYC's Caroline Lewis: "Columbia University has long provided off-campus housing to graduate students, faculty and others affiliated with the university. But as the school continues to expand its already gargantuan footprint, some neighbors in Morningside Heights are urging the university to provide affordable housing to non-Columbia residents as well. 'We think that's a good way to preserve the diversity of our community,' said Dan McSweeney, an organizer with the JUST Housing Committee, a group recently formed by members of the Morningside Heights Community Coalition and other residents."

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