Hochul Declares New York Measles Emergency as Cases Reach 108
Updated
Updated · WABC-TV · Oct 6
Hochul Declares New York Measles Emergency as Cases Reach 108
3 articles · Updated · WABC-TV · Oct 6
Summary
108 measles cases have been recorded in New York this year, prompting Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a State Disaster Emergency and issue an executive order on Monday.
92 of those cases have been reported since July 15 in under-immunized rural communities across 18 counties, while New York City has logged seven cases and the rest of the state 101.
The order broadens who can vaccinate and test for measles, adding paramedics, advanced EMS workers, midwives and pharmacists to the response network.
More than 1,000 MMR doses have already been administered in rural areas as state officials respond to a wider rise in measles cases in neighboring states and globally.
With kindergarten vaccination rates plummeting, could New York's drastic emergency measures become the new normal for controlling preventable diseases?
Infants remain highly vulnerable; what hidden risks do these massive rural outbreaks pose to the youngest unvaccinated populations?