Governor Kathy Hochul blames Washington after measles kills a child in New York state's first fatal case for 30 years
Governor Kathy Hochul, whose October emergency order expanded access to the MMR vaccine, described the child's death as a reminder of what is at stake "when Washington deliberately erodes decades of progress.Pennsylvania has reported five measles deaths this year, with a potential sixth under investigation, as the US vaccination rate has fallen below the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks.
An unvaccinated child has died from measles in Lewis County, roughly 90 miles north of Syracuse — New York state's first measles fatality in more than three decades. Hochul issued a state disaster emergency declaration in early October as the case count rose. Nationally, measles infections have hit their highest level in 35 years, with 4,852 cases recorded this year.
Every one of the 15 Lewis County cases this year involved unvaccinated individuals; New York state has reported 178 cases in total in 2026.
Pennsylvania has recorded six measles deaths this year, making it the current epicentre of the national outbreak.
The CDC has revised the childhood immunisation schedule under the Trump administration, though it continues to recommend two MMR doses for children.