Measles: a child dies in upstate New York, the state’s first such death in three decades
· BehindLines newsroom
A child has died of measles in Lewis County, in upstate New York. According to state officials, it is the first such death in the state in 30 years.
Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced the death on Monday, November 2. According to the Associated Press, as carried by STAT, she called it a "devastating reminder" of what is at stake when Washington erodes decades of progress against preventable illness. Lewis County is a rural area about 150 kilometres (93 miles) north of Syracuse.
According to Gothamist, the state had recorded 178 confirmed measles cases in 2026 through October 24, most of them since August, all but eight outside New York City. Health officials in Otsego and Seneca counties say the true number is probably much higher. Ms. Hochul declared a disaster emergency in October, widening the list of professionals who can vaccinate and test.
Nationally, the CDC has confirmed three measles-associated deaths this year, while state health departments report higher figures. Gothamist says the CDC counts nearly 5,000 confirmed cases as of October 30, the most since 1991. AP notes that vaccination coverage has fallen below the 95 percent needed to prevent outbreaks. According to AP, the United States stopped domestic spread of measles in 2000, and Pennsylvania has reported five deaths this year. According to Gothamist, epidemiologists from the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are working with the state health department through November 13.
Officials have not released the child's age or vaccination status. They asked that the family's privacy be respected.