BROOKLYN, N.Y. - There is a growing concern over the number of children who have contracted the measles in the tight knit Jewish community of Williamsburg over the last month.

Health officials are pushing to get more people vaccinated against the highly contagious disease.  

"We hear a lot about parents who don't want to vaccinate but we always encourage parents. You have to vaccinate," said Parcare Community Health Network President and CEO Gary Schlesinger.

The city Health Department says there are now six confirmed cases in the Orthodox Jewish community — children aged 11 months to four years old. The agency says in the first case a child acquired the disease on a trip to Israel where there is a large outbreak.

Measles is transmitted by airborne particles and direct contact with an infected person.

"If you have someone from there please ask if you have been vaccinated. If you have children it’s important," Schlesinger said.

The health department says five of the six children were unvaccinated prior to their exposure to the measles. These cases follow a string of infections in Rockland County upstate with nearly a dozen cases reported — those connected to Israel as well.

To increase awareness about the disease, the DOH is planning to hold meetings with local rabbis and distribute information about the measles and how to get vaccinated.  

"The current measles cluster that we are seeing resulted from an unvaccinated child traveling to an area of the world where there’s an on-going measles outbreak and so it reminds us of the importance assuring that all of our kids are vaccinated and that if adults haven’t been vaccinated it’s not too late for them as well," said Acting DOH Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot.

Health officials have their work cut out for them here. While some people are bothered by the news, NY1 spoke with many others who are not concerned at all.