New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on Monday over a fast-growing measles outbreak — the first such declaration by a U.S. state since cases began surging in 2025. The executive order also expands the pool of health professionals allowed to administer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines as infections spread through rural communities.
New York has reported 108 measles cases this year through October 3, including 92 since July 15 in under-immunized rural communities across 18 counties — well above typical annual levels and more than double the 48 cases recorded statewide in all of 2025, according to the executive order. Seven cases are in New York City and 101 elsewhere in the state, the governor's office said. Otsego County in Central New York has the most of any county, with 20 infections since January. Local health departments have administered more than 1,000 MMR doses in rural areas since July 15.
The order lets registered nurses order tests for suspected measles cases instead of requiring every test to be ordered by a physician, and newly authorizes paramedics, advanced EMS providers, pharmacists, and midwives to administer measles vaccinations — with pharmacists cleared to vaccinate children as young as two. All MMR vaccinations must be reported to state or New York City immunization registries within 72 hours, with adults' consent for such reporting waived. Vaccination itself still requires the consent of the patient or a legal guardian. The emergency took effect Monday and runs through November 4, with no lockdowns or restrictions on the general public.
"After reviewing the latest data on measles cases in New York State, I am declaring a State Disaster Emergency to strengthen our ongoing efforts to confront this disease," Hochul said in a statement. "No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease. That is why I have taken steps to increase the number of health professionals who can vaccinate and test." The state is also providing epidemiological support to investigate cases, conduct contact tracing, and expedite laboratory testing.
Neighboring Pennsylvania is battling a faster-spreading outbreak, with 977 cases and five deaths as of October 2 — mostly in rural counties bordering New York — and officials said Monday the total had passed 1,000 cases, the largest state outbreak in more than three decades. Last year saw at least 762 cases tied to a West Texas outbreak, and a South Carolina outbreak reached nearly 1,000 cases before it was declared over in April. The U.S. is having its worst year for measles since 1991, with nearly 3,900 cases reported, according to the CDC. Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000; for the quarter century that followed, the country averaged just 180 cases a year before the historic resurgence that began in 2025. Health experts attribute the comeback to vaccination rates slipping below the 95 percent threshold needed to prevent outbreaks.
Health officials are prioritizing catch-up vaccination in under-immunized rural communities. Parents should check their children's MMR records and get missing doses administered promptly — and anyone with fever and rash should seek care and report travel and exposure history.