New York Declares Measles Emergency as Cases Surge in Rural Communities
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on Monday as measles cases surged across rural communities, prompting expanded vaccination measures, as per report of Reuters.
108 Measles Cases Reported
New York has recorded 108 measles cases through October 3, including 92 reported since July 15 across under-immunised rural communities in 18 counties, according to the executive order, reported by Reuters.
Seven cases were reported in New York City, while 101 were recorded elsewhere in the state. Local health departments have administered more than 1,000 measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine doses in rural areas since July 15.
The emergency declaration is the first by a US state since measles cases began rising sharply in 2025.
Vaccine Access Expanded
The order expands the pool of health professionals who can respond to the outbreak.
Registered nurses will be allowed to order tests for people suspected of having measles, while pharmacists can administer MMR vaccines to children aged two and above.
The order also requires all MMR vaccinations to be reported to New York State or New York City immunisation registries within 72 hours. Adults' consent for the reporting of vaccination records is waived, although vaccination itself still requires consent from the patient or a legal guardian.
The emergency took effect on Monday and will remain in force until November 4.
US Sees Worst Measles Year Since 1991
Measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000. For the following 25 years, the country recorded an average of about 180 cases annually, according to federal data.
The disease has since made a major comeback. The US has reported nearly 3,900 measles cases this year, making 2026 the country's worst year for measles since 1991, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
New York's outbreak remains smaller than several major outbreaks recorded elsewhere. An outbreak in West Texas was linked to at least 762 cases last year, while South Carolina recorded nearly 1,000 cases before declaring its outbreak over in April.
Pennsylvania Outbreak Crosses 1,000 Cases
New York's neighbouring state Pennsylvania is also dealing with a rapidly spreading outbreak, particularly in rural counties bordering New York.
The state had reported 977 cases and five deaths as of October 2, according to New York's emergency order. Pennsylvania health officials said on Monday that the total had since crossed 1,000 cases, making it the state's largest measles outbreak in more than three decades.
