The Erastus Corning Tower at Empire State Plaza in Albany, where the state Health Department has offices. Photo: Albeit simple, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A child in Lewis County has died in connection with the measles outbreak, the first known measles-associated death in New York in more than 30 years, the state Health Department and Lewis County Public Health said in a joint statement on Nov. 2. Officials extended condolences to the child’s family and asked that their privacy be respected. They did not release the child’s age, name or vaccination status.
The announcement came four weeks after Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency in response to the outbreak, a step the Health Department said expanded who can administer measles vaccines and sped access to additional resources. Hochul issued a separate statement the same day. As of Oct. 24, the department counted 178 measles cases in New York this year, 170 of them outside New York City and eight in the city.
“Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause serious complications and death. Vaccination is the best protection against measles,” the joint statement said. The department said it had offered resources to Lewis County for community outreach and local vaccination efforts, and it urged New Yorkers to be up to date on measles, mumps and rubella shots and to talk with a health-care provider about immunizations.
State guidance issued during the outbreak recommends an early MMR dose for infants 6 months and older before travel or if they live in a community with measles transmission, with the regular two-dose series still due later. One dose of MMR is described as 93 percent protective and two doses as 97 percent protective. The virus can spread from four days before a rash appears to four days after, and the incubation period can run up to 21 days, the department said.
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