A child in Lewis County has died in the state's ongoing measles outbreak, New York health officials said Monday, the first measles-associated death in New York in more than 30 years.
The state Department of Health and Lewis County Public Health announced the death in a joint statement that gave no details about the child, including age or vaccination status, and asked that the family's privacy be respected.
"We are deeply saddened by the death of a child in Lewis County associated with the ongoing measles outbreak," the agencies said. "Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause serious complications and death. Vaccination is the best protection against measles."
Gov. Kathy Hochul used her own statement - posted the day before the midterm elections - to take a shot at the federal government. "This is New York's first measles-related death in 30 years, a devastating reminder of what's at stake when Washington deliberately erodes decades of progress in protecting Americans from preventable illnesses," she said.
I’m heartbroken to learn that a child in Lewis County has died from measles. My heart goes out to their family and everyone who knew and loved them.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) November 2, 2026
This is New York’s first measles-related death in 30 years, a devastating reminder of what’s at stake when Washington deliberately…
Lewis County is a rural county in northern New York. Statewide, New York has recorded 178 measles cases this year as of Oct. 24 - 170 of them outside New York City and eight in the city - according to the state health department. Lewis County had reported 15 cases as of Oct. 14, all in people who had not received the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to the state and county health departments.
The death comes four weeks after Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency over the outbreak, which widened the pool of people allowed to give measles shots. The state now recommends an early MMR dose for infants 6 months and older who live in a community with measles transmission or are traveling.
The Department of Health and Human Services, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said the CDC sent epidemiologists to New York at the state's request. "Secretary Kennedy and CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz continue to make clear that the MMR vaccine is the most effective way to prevent measles," an HHS spokesperson said in a statement.
An HHS official told the Washington Examiner that the CDC has given roughly $100 million nationwide for measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, including $2.36 million to New York State and $2.07 million to New York City.
New York's case is the latest death in the country's worst measles year in a generation. The CDC counts more than 4,800 cases nationwide this year, the most since 1991, according to its tracker, as we reported.
Neighboring Pennsylvania is the epicenter, with 1,433 cases, 269 hospitalizations and six deaths, according to its health department. The CDC's own tally has lagged the state's death count, after Kennedy suggested in August that Pennsylvania officials may have fabricated measles deaths - setting off a public clash with Gov. Josh Shapiro. Pennsylvania has since warned pregnant women about the risks of infection, as we noted last month.
The US could lose the measles elimination status it has held since 2000 when the Pan American Health Organization's measles elimination commission meets next week.
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