TUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has declared a statewide emergency as measles spreads through rural parts of the state.
As of Saturday, New York had recorded 108 measles cases this year. That's the state's highest count since 2019, when it was at the center of a national outbreak, The New York Times reported.
Hochul's order, issued Monday, loosens the rules on who can give measles vaccines. Under the declaration, midwives, pharmacists and other healthcare workers will be able to vaccinate people, The Times reported.
"No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease," Hochul said.
Most of New York's cases are in rural counties, especially in the upstate Finger Lakes region. Low vaccination rates appear to be fueling the spread.
In the counties hit hardest, fewer than 80% of children got their first measles shot by age 2, The Times reports. In rural Yates County, that rate is closer to 53%.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a first dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine at 12 to 15 months of age. A second dose should follow between ages 4 and 6.
"This is entirely preventable, and we know the vaccine is safe," Dr. Howard Markel, a retired pediatrician and historian of epidemics, told The Times.
When families skip or delay shots, communities become more vulnerable, Markel explained.
"You're seeing what happens when you start poking holes in the net," he said.
Next door, Pennsylvania has now reported 1,004 measles cases this year, state officials said Monday. Of those patients, 198 have been hospitalized, and five have died, the Associated Press reports.
That makes it the largest single-state outbreak since a multiyear outbreak in New York City in the early 1990s, according to AP News.
Nationwide, 3,887 measles cases have been reported in 2026, The Times reported. That's the worst year for measles since 1991, AP News reported.
The United States stopped the ongoing spread of measles within its borders in 2000. Since then, vaccination rates have slipped below the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks, AP News reported.
New York's school vaccine rules are among the strictest in the country and don't allow religious exemptions. However, the U.S. Supreme Court signaled last year that it may favor loosening those rules, The Times reported.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases. Up to 9 out of 10 unprotected people who are exposed will catch it, according to the CDC.
It can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling (encephalitis) and blindness.
Nearly 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children who are infected with measles will die from lung and neurologic complications, according to the CDC.
Babies too young to be vaccinated face the greatest risk.
More information
Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information about measles.
SOURCES: The New York Times, Oct. 5, 2026; AP News, Oct. 5, 2026
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