NEW YORK: New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on Monday over a measles outbreak, the first such declaration by a US state since cases began surging in 2025.
The state also expanded the pool of health professionals allowed to administer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines as cases rise in rural communities.
"No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease," Hochul said in a statement.
New York has reported 108 measles cases this year through Oct 3, including 92 since July 15 in under-immunised rural communities across 18 counties, well above typical annual levels, according to the executive order.
Seven of the cases are in New York City, and 101 are elsewhere in the state, the governor's office said. Local health departments have administered more than 1,000 MMR doses in rural areas since July 15.
