New York Declares Measles Disaster Emergency as US Outbreak Deepens

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Executive Order No. 65 on 5 October 2026, declaring a statewide disaster emergency due to an ongoing measles outbreak — the first such declaration by a US state since the 2025 surge began. By the time of the order, New York had recorded 108 confirmed cases for the year, with 92 occurring since 15 July, concentrated in a handful of rural upstate communities with below-target vaccination rates. In response, the order expanded the official network of vaccine administrators to include paramedics, advanced emergency medical services personnel, midwives, and pharmacists, and local health departments reported administering more than 1,000 vaccine doses across affected counties. The situation was made more urgent by developments in neighbouring Pennsylvania, where authorities announced that the state had surpassed 1,000 confirmed measles cases in 2026 — the largest US outbreak in approximately 30 years. Public health experts attributed the resurgence to vaccine hesitancy and declining childhood immunisation rates in certain communities following the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak prompted renewed federal calls for strengthening routine vaccination programmes across the country.