New York state declares measles disaster amid resurgence of disease in US

US had largely eliminated disease by 2000 but has seen several outbreaks amid declining vaccination rates.Published On 6 Oct 20266 Oct 2026New York state has declared a disaster emergency over an outbreak of measles, as cases of the disease that had once been all but eliminated in the United States continue to increase.New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated on Monday that she was temporarily expanding the ability of health professionals to administer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Pennsylvania confirms fifth measles-associated death as US outbreak growslist 2 of 3Republican US senator slams Trump vaccine policy amid rising measles deathslist 3 of 3WHO chief says Trump vaccine push goes against ‘decades of evidence’end of list“No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease,” Hochul said in a statement, adding that New York has recorded 108 cases of measles this year, as of October 3. The declaration will remain in effect through November 4.Hochul’s announcement marks the first such declaration since measles cases began to tick up in 2025. She said that seven cases were recorded in New York City, and 101 el...