A child in rural Lewis County, New York, died of measles, the first known measles-associated death in the state in more than 30 years, health officials said Monday. The state has recorded 178 cases this year, and Hochul criticized federal vaccine policy.
New York state health officials said Monday that a child in Lewis County died of measles amid an ongoing outbreak. Lewis County is a rural county in northern New York. It is the first known measles-associated death in the state in over 30 years, health officials said.
Governor's response
Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was heartbroken to learn of the child's death and called it New York's first measles-related death in 30 years. She linked the death to the federal government's stance on immunization, saying Washington is deliberately eroding decades of progress in protecting Americans from preventable illnesses. Hochul blamed the Trump administration for eroding public confidence in vaccines.
Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency in early October in response to the outbreak. The order allowed paramedics, midwives and additional medical professionals to administer vaccines. The child's death came four weeks after the declaration, which covered the outbreak across areas of New York and neighboring states.
Case counts
According to the state Health Department, 178 measles cases have been diagnosed in New York since the start of 2026, including 170 outside New York City. Fifteen of those cases were in Lewis County. As of Oct. 24, the total included eight cases in New York City.
Across the United States, 4,852 measles cases have been recorded this year, more than double the total for all of 2025. The CDC has confirmed three measles-associated deaths in the country this year, but state health departments have reported higher numbers. Pennsylvania authorities reported 1,433 measles infections, 269 hospitalizations and five measles-related deaths as of Monday.
Vaccination guidance
The CDC continues to recommend two doses of the MMR vaccine for children and says two doses provide the best protection against measles. Two doses offer 97% protection against measles, usually for life. The first dose is typically given around age 1 and another around age 5, and during outbreaks babies as young as 6 months are eligible for an early dose.
