A child who had not been vaccinated has died of measles in Lewis County, in upstate New York, the state Department of Health announced Monday, Dec. 2. It is the first confirmed measles death in New York state in more than 30 years. Health officials urged residents to check whether they are vaccinated against MMR.
A child with measles has died in Lewis County, in upstate New York. The New York State Department of Health and Lewis County Public Health announced the death on Monday. According to the New York Post, it is the first measles death in New York state in more than 30 years. The child who died had not been vaccinated.
Authorities did not release the child's identity, age or sex. In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed condolences to the family and stressed that vaccination is the best way to prevent measles. About four weeks ago, Hochul declared a State Disaster Emergency in response to a surge in measles cases. Under the declaration, nurses can order measles tests, while the state handles support for epidemiological investigations, contact tracing and faster test processing.
The state's previous measles death came from a large outbreak in New York City that ran from March 1990 to the summer of 1991. At least 21 people died and thousands were infected at that time. According to public health records cited by the New York Post, Lewis County has had 15 cases this year as of last week, the fourth-highest in the state, and all 15 involved people who were not vaccinated. Seneca County has the most, with 30 reported cases. Other states, including Pennsylvania and South Carolina, have also had large outbreaks this year.
The state Department of Health urged residents to check their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination status and, for unvaccinated people, especially children, to follow health guidance when traveling. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends two doses of MMR: the first at 12 to 15 months of age and the second at 4 to 6 years. Infants 6 months and older may receive one dose if they are traveling abroad or to an area with a measles outbreak, or if they live in an area where transmission is occurring. In that case, they should still receive the next two doses on schedule, for a total of three.
Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. An unvaccinated person can become infected in a space for up to two hours after the infected person has left. Early symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash. Three to five days after symptoms begin, flat red spots may appear on the face, neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. As the illness progresses, it can lead to pneumonia, brain infection and death.