A child in Lewis County, New York, has died after contracting measles, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Monday. This is the first measles-related death in the state in 30 years.
“As a mother and grandmother, I cannot imagine what this family is going through. My heart goes out to everyone who knew and loved this child,” she said. “Measles is highly contagious and vaccination remains our best protection against this dangerous disease. This is the first measles-related death in New York in 30 years, a devastating reminder of what is at stake when Washington deliberately erodes decades of progress in protecting Americans from preventable diseases.”
“In New York, we will continue to follow proven public health measures and do everything we can to keep New Yorkers safe and healthy. »
CNN has contacted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York State Department of Health and the Lewis County Health Department for more information.
Rising measles cases prompted Hochul to declare a statewide state of emergency last month. As of Wednesday, 168 cases had been reported in New York, according to CDC data. Lewis County reported 15 cases as of Oct. 14, all in people who did not receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.
More than 4,800 cases of measles have been reported in the United States, according to the CDC. More than a quarter of them occurred in Pennsylvania, which reported five measles-related deaths.
This is breaking news and will be updated.
Gn Health
