Child dies in New York’s first measles-linked death in over 30 years

The New York State Department of Health and Lewis County Public Health announced the measles-related death on Monday, as a measles outbreak continues across the United States. That’s a fourth measles-related death this year, as the country battles its worst outbreak in decades. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT There are 4,666 confirmed measles cases this year as of 30 October — roughly twice the total reported last year. New York reported 178 cases this year, covering the period up to 24 October. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency four weeks ago in response to the outbreak, enabling the expansion of the pool of healthcare professionals authorised to administer measles vaccines and facilitating access to additional resources. State health officials said they were working with county authorities and local partners to provide vaccinations to unvaccinated people, while stepping up case monitoring and contact tracing. “Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause serious complications and death,” the joint statement said, adding that vaccination remained the best protection against the virus. People can transmit the virus for around four days before the characteristic rash appears, meaning they may travel across borders before realising they are ill. "We urge New Yorkers to ensure they are up to date on measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations and speak to their healthcare provider about immunizations,” authorities said. One dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine provides 93% protection against measles, while two doses provide 97%, according to the state health department. The public health warning comes amid a wider debate over vaccination policy under the Trump administration. In August, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order backing a recommendation to separate the combined MMR vaccine into three individual shots, rather than administering them together. The proposal drew criticism from health experts, who warned that requiring multiple appointments could create additional barriers to vaccination and increase the risk of children missing doses. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also faced criticism over his comments questioning vaccine safety and promoting claims linking vaccines to autism, despite extensive scientific evidence finding no causal association between vaccines and autism. Situation in Europe The US is not the only country where measles continues to circulate. The biggest outbreaks currently are in Bangladesh, with cases surpassing 65,430, Indonesia with 46,578 and Guatemala with 31,222 cases. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) told Euronews last week that the risk for Europeans remains moderate for infants under 12 months, children aged one to five and immunocompromised people. For older unvaccinated children and adults, the risk is estimated to range from low to moderate. People with immunity from vaccination or previous infection are considered to have a low risk of measles, as per its latest assessment. In Europe, measles is endemic in twelve countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Türkiye and Ukraine. Romania reported most of the cases, with numbers reaching 30,692 in 2024, up from 3,371 in 2023. Six European countries: Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Uzbekistan have re-established endemic measles transmission based on the number of cases in 2024 earlier this year.