Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., issued an executive order Monday declaring a state of emergency in New York over rising measles cases, which have especially increased in rural New York and neighboring states.

Hochul said the order will help New York “respond more swiftly” to rising measles cases and allow “healthcare professionals to take additional steps that will help get more New Yorkers vaccinated and tested, if needed.”

The order specifically increases the number of health care providers who can administer measles vaccines, including paramedics, advanced EMS providers, pharmacists and midwives, with nurses allowed to order testing in addition to physicians.

Measles cases in the state of New York year to date, excluding New York City, totaled 101 as of Oct. 3, according to data from the New York State Department of Health.

The New York City Health Department has recorded seven measles cases so far this year, according to an Oct. 2 update.

“No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease,” Hochul said in a statement. “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.”

3,887. That is how many measles cases the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded in the U.S. so far this year. The last time the number reached that high was in 1991.

Measles cases, which have largely remained below 200 cases per year in the U.S. since the early 1990s, have exceeded 2,000 in 2025 and 2026. The surge in cases has been attributed to lower vaccination rates in the U.S., particularly among children. People aged between five and 19 make up 43% of measles cases so far this year in the U.S. States with the highest number of measles cases this year are Pennsylvania (963), South Carolina (670), Utah (535) and Wisconsin (207), according to the CDC’s map of measles cases . The measles vaccine has been around for well over half a century and is considered safe and highly effective .

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