▁up ▁with ▁anti - v acc ine ▁groups ▁to ▁raise ▁concerns ▁that ▁v acc ines ▁were ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁aut ism , ▁despite ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁multiple ▁studies ▁have ▁shown ▁no ▁connection ▁between ▁the ▁M MR ▁v acc ine ▁and ▁aut ism . ▁ ▁From ▁fall ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁to ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁experienced ▁an ▁out break ▁of ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 ▁confirmed ▁meas les ▁cases . ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁cases ▁were ▁attributed ▁to ▁ult ra - Or th odox ▁Jewish ▁communities ▁with ▁low ▁v acc ination ▁rates ▁in ▁areas ▁within ▁Brook lyn ▁and ▁Rock land ▁County . ▁State ▁Health ▁Commission er ▁Howard ▁Z ucker ▁stated ▁that ▁this ▁was ▁the ▁worst ▁out break ▁of ▁meas les ▁in ▁his ▁recent ▁memory . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Washington ▁state ▁reported ▁an ▁out break ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁ 7 3 ▁confirmed ▁cases ▁of ▁meas les , ▁most ▁within ▁Clark ▁County , ▁which ▁has ▁a ▁higher ▁rate ▁of ▁v acc ination ▁exem ptions ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁state . ▁This ▁led ▁state ▁governor ▁Jay ▁Ins lee ▁to ▁declare ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁emer gency , ▁and ▁the ▁state ' s ▁con gress ▁to ▁introduce ▁legisl ation ▁to ▁dis allow ▁v acc ination ▁exem ption ▁for ▁personal ▁or ▁philosoph ical ▁reasons . ▁ ▁Wales , ▁meas les ▁( 2 0 1 3 – ) ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁an ▁out break ▁of ▁meas les ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁Wel