Citing a growing number of measles cases across rural parts of New York state and beyond, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency that allows healthcare professionals to take further steps to stem the spread.
There have been 108 confirmed measles cases this year in the state as of Saturday, including 101 outside New York City, the governor said. She added that 92 of the cases were reported in 18 under-immunized, rural communities since July 15, leading local health departments to administer over 1,000 doses of the MMR vaccine across the rural areas.
The governor declared the state of emergency in an executive order issued Monday amid what she called a global and domestic increase in measles cases.
“No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease,” Hochul said. “That is why I have taken steps to increase the number of health professionals who can vaccinate and test. These emergency measures will protect New Yorkers and support our community partners as they work tirelessly to address the spread of this disease.”
The executive order extends the pool of eligible individuals who can provide vaccines to paramedics, advanced EMS providers, pharmacists and midwives, and allows nurses to order testing, she said.
State Health Department Commissioner Dr. James McDonald urged New Yorkers to check their vaccination status and protect themselves with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
State Sen. Gustavo Rivera said, “The concerning rise in measles cases is due to a decrease in childhood vaccines driven by misinformation and is causing a public health emergency.”
New Yorkers can track the number of confirmed measles cases outside New York City at a Measles Dashboard created by the state Health Department.
The highly contagious respiratory disease, which causes a red rash and a high fever, is caused by a virus and spread through coughing and sneezing.
Source: spectrumlocalnews.com
