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New York declares measles disaster emergency as Pennsylvania outbreak tops 1,000 cases
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on Oct. 5 — the first by a U.S. state since the measles surge began in 2025 — as neighbouring Pennsylvania confirmed 1,004 cases, the largest state outbreak in more than three decades.
Why it matters
This is the first disaster emergency declared by a U.S. state since measles cases began surging in 2025. The U.S. is enduring its worst measles year since 1991 with nearly 3,900 cases, even though domestic spread was declared eliminated in 2000. The outbreaks are concentrated in under-immunized rural communities.
Full report
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on Oct. 5 declaring a statewide disaster emergency over measles, effective through Nov. 4. The order expands the pool of health professionals allowed to administer MMR vaccines — including paramedics and midwives, with pharmacists able to vaccinate children as young as two — and allows registered nurses to order tests for suspected cases. New York has reported 108 cases this year through Oct. 3, including 92 since July 15 in under-immunized rural communities across 18 counties.
Neighbouring Pennsylvania is battling a larger outbreak: state health officials confirmed 1,004 cases on Monday, with 198 hospitalizations and five deaths — the largest measles outbreak in a single U.S. state in more than three decades. The outbreak began in April in communities west of Philadelphia and has been driven by low vaccination rates; Lancaster County, home to large Amish and Mennonite populations, remains hardest hit with 391 cases. "No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease," Hochul said in a statement.
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