Child in Lewis County dies of measles, New York's first measles death in more than 30 years

A child in Lewis County, in New York's rural North Country, has died after contracting measles, the state Department of Health and Lewis County Public Health announced Monday. It is the first known measles-associated death in New York State in more than 30 years.

Officials did not release the child's name, age or sex and asked that the family's privacy be respected. "Measles is a highly contagious disease that can cause serious complications and death. Vaccination is the best protection against measles," the two agencies said in a joint statement.

What the governor said

Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was "heartbroken" and called the death "a devastating reminder of what's at stake when Washington deliberately erodes decades of progress" on preventable diseases, in a statement released Monday.

The outbreak in numbers

• 178 cases in New York this year as of Oct. 24, according to the Health Department: 170 outside New York City and eight in the city.
• Lewis County has 15 cases this year, the fourth-highest count in the state, and all 15 are among unvaccinated people, according to public health records cited by the New York Post. Seneca County has the most, with 30, the Post reported.
• The last New Yorkers to die of measles caught it during a large New York City outbreak from March 1990 to the summer of 1991, the Post reported.

The emergency order

The death comes four weeks after Hochul declared a State Disaster Emergency on Oct. 5 in response to the outbreak in parts of New York and neighboring states. The order expands who can give measles vaccines and gives the state faster access to resources. The Health Department says it is working with county health departments to provide the MMR vaccine to any unvaccinated person who asks for it and to trace contacts of every case. The department has offered Lewis County help with outreach and local vaccination.

What New Yorkers should do

• Check your MMR shots. The state urges everyone to be up to date on the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and to talk to a health care provider. One dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective, according to the Health Department.
• Babies: infants 6 months and older can get an early dose before travel or if they live in a community with measles spread, then continue with their regular doses, for three in total.
• Travel: plan to be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before you leave.
• Know the signs: measles often starts with fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash. If health officials contact you as part of contact tracing, the state asks you to respond.