Pennsylvania Measles Cases Top 1,000 as New York Declares Disaster Emergency

The United States is enduring its worst measles year since 1991, with health officials reporting nearly 4,080 confirmed cases nationwide by 10 October 2026 - a rise of 193 cases in a week. Pennsylvania announced on 5 October that it had reached 1,004 confirmed measles cases, the largest state outbreak in over three decades; 108 people have been hospitalised and five measles-associated deaths have been recorded. In response, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Executive Order No. 65 on 5 October, declaring a statewide disaster emergency that runs until 4 November and unlocks state funds, vaccination teams and emergency contracts. New York has logged 108 cases this year, 92 since mid-July, concentrated in 18 rural counties with low immunisation coverage. Governor Hochul also said she would seek federal help from the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public-health officials blame falling MMR vaccination rates, vaccine misinformation and clusters in close-knit under-immunised communities, and are urging parents to check their children's shot records before the school term fully resumes.