What Happened to Measles Outbreak in New York (2018-2019 and Resurgence in 2025-2026)?

The Measles Outbreak in New York, primarily spanning from late 2018 to 2019, marked the largest such outbreak in the United States in nearly three decades. The initial infection was traced to an unvaccinated child returning to New York City from Israel on September 30, 2018, where a measles outbreak was ongoing. The virus rapidly spread within densely populated Orthodox Jewish communities in Williamsburg and Borough Park, Brooklyn, and in Rockland County, where vaccination rates were notably low. Factors contributing to the severity included delayed vaccination of young children, increased contact among susceptible age groups, and the deliberate spread through 'measles parties' fueled by anti-vaccination misinformation.

Public health officials responded decisively. Rockland County declared a state of emergency in March 2019, barring unvaccinated minors from public places. New York City followed suit in April 2019, declaring a public health emergency and mandating vaccinations in specific zip codes, with fines for non-compliance and exclusion of unvaccinated children from schools and daycare. Extensive vaccination campaigns were launched, administering tens of thousands of MMR doses. A critical turning point was the New York State legislature's decision in June 2019 to remove non-medical (religious) exemptions from school vaccination requirements, a move aimed at bolstering herd immunity. By September and October 2019, the outbreaks in both New York City and the surrounding counties were officially declared over, with 649 cases confirmed in NYC and 406 cases in other affected counties.

Following the 2018-2019 outbreak and the strengthened vaccination laws, New York experienced a period of very low measles incidence, with zero cases reported in NYC for 2020, 2021, and 2022, and only one in 2023. However, a concerning resurgence began in 2025, mirroring a national and global trend of increasing measles cases. New York City reported 20 cases in 2025, and the rest of New York State reported 28, totaling 48 cases statewide. This uptick was largely attributed to declining childhood vaccination rates and the spread of anti-vaccine sentiment.

As of October 6, 2026, the resurgence has intensified. New York State has reported 108 measles cases this year through October 3, with 7 cases in New York City and 101 cases in other parts of the state. These cases are predominantly occurring in under-immunized rural communities across 18 counties. The national context is equally alarming, with 3,887 confirmed measles cases reported in the U.S. in 2026 as of October 1, the highest number since 1991. Neighboring Pennsylvania has also been severely affected, reporting over 1,000 cases and five deaths. In response to the escalating situation, Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide disaster emergency on October 5, 2026. This executive order aims to accelerate the state's response by expanding the pool of healthcare professionals (including paramedics, pharmacists, and midwives) authorized to administer MMR vaccines and conduct testing, underscoring the ongoing challenge of maintaining high vaccination coverage against this highly contagious disease.