New York Declares Statewide Measles Emergency as Rural Cases Rise Amid 35-Year US High

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide measles disaster emergency on Monday, after 108 cases were reported in New York, including 92 since 15 July in rural communities, as US cases reached a 35-year high.

The pattern differs from 2019, when measles spread through Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn. This time New York City has seven cases, while 101 are elsewhere in the state, including 92 reported since 15 July in under-immunised rural communities across 18 counties.

Most Cases Are Upstate

Of the 108 cases recorded through 3 October, 92 have come since 15 July across 18 under-immunised rural counties, according to the executive order. State data show Otsego County leads with 20 cases, followed by Seneca with 17 and Steuben with 14. The emergency order describes the outbreak as a growing threat in communities with low vaccination coverage.

Pennsylvania's Outbreak Spills Over the Border

Much of the rural spread is occurring near the state line. Neighbouring Pennsylvania had 977 cases and five deaths as of 2 October, according to its Department of Health, with cases in rural counties bordering New York. State officials said on Monday that Pennsylvania's total had passed 1,000 cases, the biggest state outbreak in more than three decades.

The border region remains a concern because measles can spread rapidly among people who are not immune. The CDC listed two measles deaths as of 1 October, while Pennsylvania reported five measles-associated deaths. The CDC says its death count may change as it works on a standardised definition.

Where New Yorkers Can Get Protected Now

The emergency widens who can give the vaccine. Paramedics, advanced emergency medical services providers, pharmacists, and midwives can now administer the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, and pharmacists can vaccinate children as young as two. Registered nurses can order tests for suspected cases. The expanded authority is intended to make vaccination and testing more accessible.

The order also requires every MMR vaccination to be reported to state or New York City immunisation registries within 72 hours and suspends the requirement for adults' consent to that reporting. Getting vaccinated still needs the consent of the patient or a legal guardian. The measures run through 4 November.

The Worst Measles Year in Three Decades

Measles is among the most contagious diseases known, able to linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left a room. About one in five unvaccinated people with measles are hospitalised, according to a CDC study of a 2025 Texas outbreak, and the virus can cause pneumonia, brain swelling, and death, according to the CDC.

Nationally, measles is at its worst since 1991. The CDC reported 3,887 confirmed cases through 1 October, already past the 2,289 recorded in all of 2025 and the highest annual total in 35 years. About 95% of this year's cases involved people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. The rise has renewed concerns about vaccination coverage and the risk of further outbreaks.

New York's own numbers tell the same story, with this year's 108 cases more than double the 48 the state logged in 2025. 'No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease,' Hochul said. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective, according to the CDC, and health officials say it remains the best protection as the virus moves through communities with low vaccination rates.