State expands pool of healthcare professionals authorized to administer MMR vaccinesNew York reports 108 measles cases through October 3More than 1,000 MMR vaccine doses administered in \u200brural areas since July 15Emergency remains in effect through November 4<\/p>\n
Oct 5 (Reuters) – New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on Monday over a measles outbreak, the first such declaration by a U.S. state since cases \u200bbegan surging in 2025.<\/p>\n
The state also expanded the pool of health professionals \u200ballowed to administer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines as cases rise in rural communities.<\/p>\n
Sign up here.<\/a><\/p>\n “No \u2060one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease,” Hochul said \u200bin a statement.<\/p>\n New York has reported 108 measles cases this year through October 3, \u200bincluding 92 since July 15 in under-immunized rural communities across 18 counties, well above typical annual levels, according to the executive order.<\/p>\n Seven of the cases are in New York City and 101 \u200bare elsewhere in the state, the governor’s office said. Local health departments have administered \u200bmore than 1,000 MMR doses in rural areas since July 15.<\/p>\n Neighboring Pennsylvania is battling a fast-spreading \u200coutbreak, \u2060with 977 cases and five deaths as of October 2, mostly in rural counties that border New York, the order said.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania health officials said on Monday the state’s total had passed 1,000 cases, making it the largest state outbreak in more than \u200bthree decades.<\/p>\n The US \u200bis having its \u2060worst year for measles since 1991, with nearly 3,900 cases reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n The order \u200ballows registered nurses to order tests for suspected measles and pharmacists \u200bto vaccinate \u2060children as young as two. It also requires all MMR vaccinations to be reported to state or New York City immunization registries within 72 hours, while waiving adults’ \u2060consent for \u200bsuch reporting.<\/p>\n Vaccination itself still requires the consent of \u200bthe patient or a legal guardian. The emergency took effect on Monday and runs through November 4.<\/p>\n Adds background \u200cand governor’s statement in paragraphs 3,5,7-8<\/p>\n Reporting by \u200bDharna Bafna and Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Diti Pujara and Anil D’Silva<\/p>\n Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab<\/a><\/p>\n