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

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 increase . New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated on Monday that she was temporarily expanding the ability of health professionals to administer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines. “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.