New York City has confirmed its first measles case of 2026, health officials said Thursday, as outbreaks continue across the U.S.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s Department of Health didn\u2019t immediately provide any details about the confirmed case, but urged New Yorkers to ensure they and their children are up to date with the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.<\/p>\n
What You Need To Know<\/p>\n
New York City has confirmed its first measles case of 2026 amid rising outbreaks across the U.S.
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Measles is highly contagious and can cause serious health complications in anyone who is not vaccinated, according to health officials
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The city\u2019s Department of Health is now urging all New Yorkers to ensure they and their children are up to date with the MMR vaccine
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U.S. vaccination rates have dropped and the share of children with exemptions has reached an all-time high, according to federal data<\/p>\n
\u201cMeasles is a virus that causes fever and a rash, and it can cause serious health complications,\u201d the department said on its website<\/a>. \u201cIt is highly contagious and anyone who is not vaccinated against the virus can get it at any age.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective against measles and two doses is 97% effective against measles. The MMR vaccine provides long-term protection from measles,\u201d it added. \u201cVaccination is the best way to prevent measles.\u201d<\/p>\n The department noted that if one person has measles, \u201cup to 90% of people around them will also get it if they are unvaccinated or otherwise not immune.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2025, there were 20 confirmed measles cases in New York City and 28 in New York state outside of the city, for a total of 48 cases statewide, according to the state’s Department of Health<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The case comes just days after Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also emphasized the need for vaccinations<\/a> as measles spreads across several states.<\/p>\n \u201cNot all illnesses are equally dangerous and not all people are equally susceptible to those illnesses,\u201d he told CNN\u2019s \u201cState of the Union.\u201d \u201cBut measles is one you should get your vaccine.\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cThere will never be a barrier to Americans get access to the measles vaccine. And it is part of the core schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n Confirmed measles outbreaks have been reported in multiple states this year, including hundreds of cases in South Carolina<\/a> \u2014 surpassing the 2025 outbreak in Texas<\/a> \u2014 and cases along the Utah-Arizona border.<\/p>\n The outbreaks have mostly impacted children and have come as infectious disease experts warn that rising public distrust of vaccines<\/a> generally may be contributing to the spread of a disease once declared eradicated by public health officials.<\/p>\n