New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on Oct. 5 over a rapidly growing measles outbreak. She stated: “After reviewing the latest data on measles cases in New York State, I am declaring a State Disaster Emergency to strengthen our ongoing efforts to confront this disease. No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease.”

Measles was officially declared eliminated in the U.S. 26 years ago, based upon there being no continuous domestic transmission for the previous 12 months. Now, the CDC reported that, as of October 1, 2026, there have been 3,887 confirmed measles cases in the first 9 months of 2026. With three months to go, that is already the highest level in 35 years. As the total for all of 2025 was 2,289 confirmed cases, the country is on target for more than doubling that.