ALBANY — Tuesday might not have been the most opportune day for a group of advocates to visit the state Capitol to argue for a religious exemption to school vaccine requirements.

The reason: The day began with news that New York City had declared a public health emergency in the wake of an outbreak of measles in centered in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community known to resist medical advice on the safety and benefits of vaccinating against the illness.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the unusual order amid what he said was a measles crisis in Brooklyn's Williamsburg section, where more than 250 people have gotten measles since September. Officials blamed the outbreak on "anti-vaxxers" spreading false information.

City officials ordered mandatory vaccinations in the neighborhood. The order applies to anyone living, working or going to school in four ZIP codes in the neighborhood and requires all unvaccinated people at risk of exposure to the virus to get the vaccine, including children over 6 months old.

The city can't physically force someone to get a vaccination, but officials said people who ignore the order could be fined $1,000. The city said it would help everyone covered by the order get the vaccine if they can't get it quickly through their regular medical provider.

"If people will simply cooperate quickly, nobody will have to pay a fine," de Blasio said.

The visit was prompted by a legislative push to end all non-medical exemptions in New York that has been gaining momentum following the rapid rise in measles infections in recent months.

Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, a Rockland County Democrat, was confronted by the group outside her Capitol office, where she patiently listened for minutes about personal concerns with the proposal.

One parent described the legislation as "religious persecution," and promised to leave the state if it became law.

A grandfather and rabbi from Rockland County, who identified himself as a chiropractor, warned about the purported health risks of vaccinations and actually claimed contracting the measles had been beneficial for his family.

"My one son, by getting the measles, stopped smoking. My daughter her blemishes on her face cleared up," he said. "My children seem like they're healthier by getting the measles."

Jaffee repeatedly told the assembled group that she understood their concerns and welcomed their presence, but wouldn't agree to reconsider her desire to end the exemption. "I will follow up with further conversation," she said.

The legislation has yet to move in either house of the Legislature.

The majority of religious leaders in Brooklyn's large Orthodox communities support vaccination efforts, said the city's health commissioner, Dr. Oxiris Barbot, but rates have remained low in some areas because of resistance from some groups that believe the inoculations are dangerous.

"This outbreak is being fueled by a small group of anti-vaxxers in these neighborhoods. They have been spreading dangerous misinformation based on fake science," Barbot said. "We stand with the majority of people in this community who have worked hard to protect their children and those at risk. We've seen a large increase in the number of people vaccinated in these neighborhoods."

Officials say 285 measles cases have been confirmed in New York City since the beginning of the outbreak, the largest in the city since 1991. The city accounted for about two-thirds of all U.S. measles cases reported last week.

Rockland County has experienced more than 160 cases of the measles in recent weeks, and issued its own emergency order to prohibit non-vaccinated individuals from public spaces. Last week, a state judge blocked the order.

State Sen. David Carlucci, a Democrat from Rockland County, said in a statement last week that the county is facing a medical emergency. "The numbers there do not lie," he said. "We must stand united in protecting the public's health and safety in New York."

At least 81 percent of the confirmed measles cases in Rockland County were in people who didn't receive a vaccination.

Health officials also noted that Passover is approaching, meaning increased travel among people who could carry measles to or from New York. Israel, for instance, also has a current measles outbreak.

New York City's health commissioner is empowered by law to issue mandatory vaccination orders in cases when they might be necessary to protect against a serious public health threat.

News of the order got a mixed reaction in Williamsburg, with some residents — even those who support vaccination — saying they felt uncomfortable with the city pushing vaccines on people who don't want them. Others remain convinced, against expert assurances, that vaccines are unsafe.

"It's true that a lot of people have measles and measles are not a very good thing, but I think the vaccine also not a very good thing," said Aron Braver, a neighborhood resident. "And it's everybody's option to do what he wants. What he decides."

Ordering people to be vaccinated without their consent is "an extreme measure which is not provided for in the law and raises civil liberties concerns about forced medical treatment," Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a written statement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all children get two doses of measles vaccine. It says the vaccine is 97 percent effective.

David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87