Child dies of measles in New York's first such death in 30 years
· Medical Xpressedited by Andrew Zinin
Andrew Zinin
Chief Editor
Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process
Editors' notes
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
fact-checked
reputable news agency
proofread
The GIST Add to Preferred Sources
A child in rural northern New York has died after contracting measles, marking the state's first death from the disease in 30 years, state officials announced Monday.
The child died in Lewis County, about 93 miles (150 kilometers) north of Syracuse, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
The U.S. stopped the domestic spread of measles in 2000 by maintaining high vaccination rates, but they have fallen in recent years to below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks of the viral disease.
Hochul, a Democrat, said the child's death is "a devastating reminder of what's at stake when Washington deliberately erodes decades of progress in protecting Americans from preventable illnesses."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed three measles-associated deaths in the U.S. this year, but state health departments have reported higher numbers. Pennsylvania health officials have reported five deaths this year and are investigating a possible sixth.
Hochul declared a disaster emergency in early October because of measles cases in neighboring states and in rural areas of New York. The executive order extended the pool of people who can administer measles vaccines to include paramedics, midwives and others, and it allowed nurses to join doctors in ordering testing.
Key medical concepts
Clinical categories
Infectious diseasesCommon illnesses & PreventionPediatricsPreventive medicineChildren's health Who's behind this story?
Andrew Zinin
Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →
© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Citation: Child dies of measles in New York's first such death in 30 years (2026, November 3) retrieved 3 November 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-11-child-dies-measles-york-death.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.