NEW YORK RECORDS FIRST MEASLES-RELATED DEATH IN 30 YEARS AS CHILD DIES
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Agency Report
A child in New York has died after contracting measles, marking the state’s first measles-related death in three decades, health authorities confirmed on Monday.
The child died in Lewis County, northern New York, according to county and state health officials.
Reacting to the incident, New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed grief over the loss, describing the death as heartbreaking.
“I am heartbroken to learn that a child in Lewis County has died after contracting measles,” Hochul said in a statement.
“As a mother and grandmother, I cannot imagine what this family is going through.”
Hochul, a Democrat, also linked the tragedy to health policies under the Trump administration, describing it as a warning about the consequences of weakening public health protections.
She said the incident was “a devastating reminder of what’s at stake when Washington deliberately erodes decades of progress in protecting Americans from preventable illnesses.”
The United States is currently experiencing its worst measles outbreak in 35 years.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4,834 measles cases had been recorded across 47 states as of October 29.
In October, Hochul declared a state of disaster emergency in New York following outbreaks of the disease in the state and neighbouring areas.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 following years of successful vaccination campaigns.
However, the disease has re-emerged in recent years amid growing vaccine hesitancy and declining public confidence in health authorities.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that causes fever, respiratory symptoms and painful skin rashes. In severe cases, it can lead to complications such as pneumonia and inflammation of the brain, which may result in death.
The disease continues to claim tens of thousands of lives globally every year.
AFP
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