Kathy Hochul declares NY state of emergency over measles outbreak

Key Points:

• New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide emergency due to a measles outbreak spreading from Pennsylvania, marking the first such declaration since the 2025 U.S. measles surge began.
• Pennsylvania has reported 977 measles cases and five deaths, mostly in rural areas, while New York has reported 108 cases amid the worst U.S. measles outbreak since 1991 with nearly 3,900 cases nationwide.
• Hochul's executive order expands vaccination authority to registered nurses and pharmacists, mandates reporting of all MMR vaccinations within 72 hours, and waives adult consent for reporting to improve outbreak response.
• Health officials emphasize the importance of vaccination and urge exposed individuals, especially vulnerable groups like infants and the immunocompromised, to seek medical advice promptly for possible preventive treatment.
• Measles is highly contagious and can cause severe complications such as pneumonia, brain swelling, and hospitalization in nearly 20% of cases, with a fatality rate of one to three per 1,000 infections.