New York state declares measles disaster amid resurgence of disease in US

The US had largely eliminated measles by 2000 but has seen several outbreaks amid declining vaccination rates.New York state has declared a disaster emergency over an outbreak of measles, as cases of the disease that had once been all but eliminated in the United States continue to rise.New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Monday that she was temporarily expanding the ability of health professionals to administer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Pennsylvania confirms fifth measles-associated death as US outbreak growslist 2 of 3Republican US senator slams Trump vaccine policy amid rising measles deathslist 3 of 3WHO chief says Trump vaccine push goes against ‘decades of evidence’end of list“No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease,” Hochul said in a statement, adding that New York has recorded 108 cases of measles this year, as of October 3. The declaration will remain in effect through November 4.Hochul’s announcement marks the first such declaration since measles cases began to tick up in 2025. She said that seven cases were recorded in New York City and 101 elsewhere in the state.Hochul’s declaration says 92 cases have been recorded since July 15 in a handful of rural communities with insufficient vaccination rates.Officials in neighbouring Pennsylvania also announced that the state has surpassed 1,000 measles cases this year, the largest outbreak in the US in the last three decades. Outbreaks have also been recorded in Texas, Utah, Ohio and South Carolina.Health experts attribute the resurgence to a decline in vaccination rates below the 95 percent rate they say is necessary to prevent outbreaks.Critics say the decline has been spurred by an anti-vaccination movement that has surged in popularity and gained advocates inside the administration of President Donald Trump, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.