Health officials have detected a new measles case in the city as the outbreak continues to flourish in other parts of the country.
The new case brings the state’s total case count this year to four: three in the five boroughs and one on Long Island, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a briefing Wednesday. The new case comes a week after officials announced the first infection outside of the city, which was found in an unvaccinated child under five years old.
It’s fairly common for the state to record sporadic measles cases every year, with 14 cases detected in 2024, according to the governor. But the warning comes as the virus has proliferated in states including Texas and New Mexico – which have detected more than 300 cases this year, primarily in areas with low vaccination rates – and parts of Canada.
There is no evidence that the state’s four measles cases are linked to outbreaks in Texas or New Mexico, nor that they have ties to each other, Hochul said, adding that the state’s case count does not constitute an outbreak.
“We know how to handle this and do not have another pandemic on our hands,” Hochul said. But she said at this early stage it is important to “sound the alarm” and inform New Yorkers of the state’s plan to stop the virus from spreading.
The state announced the launch of an online portal on Wednesday to provide New Yorkers with up-to-date information about infections and vaccination rates as the national outbreak continues.
Hochul also urged New Yorkers who have not received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to get immunized to reduce chances of a local outbreak. Approximately 81% of residents, excluding those in the city, have been vaccinated, lower than the 95% needed to reach herd immunity, according to the Department of Health.
“It pains me to think that in 2025, we are still debating whether vaccinations are safe, when the scientific evidence is overwhelming,” Hochul said, criticizing the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the nation’s “leading vaccination skeptic.”
Hochul called on state leaders, including members of the clergy and activists, to communicate the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine and encourage people to get immunized.
