More than 1,000 measles cases have been recorded in Pennsylvania this year, making it the largest outbreak reported in a US state since the early 1990s, health officials said Monday.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded 3,869 measles cases nationwide so far this year, putting 2026 on track to become the worst year for the disease in the United States since 1991.
Health officials said the Pennsylvania outbreak began west of Philadelphia in April. Nearly 200 people have been hospitalised and five deaths have been reported.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, almost all of the cases involved people who had not been vaccinated against measles.
The outbreak has also prompted action in neighbouring New York State, where Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday declared a month-long state of disaster emergency to strengthen efforts to contain the disease.
More than 100 measles cases have been reported across New York State outside New York City this year, including 92 cases in rural areas described by officials as “under-immunised” since July 15.
Hochul’s executive order relaxes certain regulations governing vaccine administration, expands vaccination authority to paramedics and midwives, and allows nurses to order testing while reducing administrative barriers.
“No one should get seriously ill or die from a vaccine-preventable disease,” Hochul said.
Measles outbreaks have also been reported in several other US states since last year, including Texas, Utah and South Carolina. South Carolina alone has recorded nearly 1,000 cases.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause high fever, cough and a characteristic rash. Severe complications can occur, particularly among young children.
Health authorities say vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles. However, vaccine scepticism has increased in parts of the United States, with more parents opting out of routine childhood vaccinations amid misinformation and concerns about vaccine safety.
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