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The New York State Division of Well being has reported a case of measles in a Lengthy Island baby, the state’s first case confirmed exterior of New York Metropolis this yr.
The Well being Division introduced the case on Tuesday, describing the affected person as a Suffolk County resident underneath the age of 5. The kid was unvaccinated, in accordance to the Suffolk County Division of Well being Providers. The announcement follows two circumstances of measles confirmed in infants in New York Metropolis earlier this yr, bringing the state’s complete variety of measles circumstances in 2025 to a few.
Measles is a extremely contagious respiratory illness that’s preventable by the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. For individuals who are unvaccinated, notably youngsters, the illness can result in severe problems and even dying.
New York’s latest measles circumstances have emerged amid a quickly rising outbreak on the Texas-New Mexico border, which has resulted in two deaths. Different measles outbreaks have been reported in a dozen jurisdictions throughout the nation this yr, together with in Georgia and New Jersey.
The Lengthy Island measles affected person is being handled at Cohen Youngsters’s Medical Middle in Queens, which is a part of Northwell Well being, in accordance with public well being officers. The state and native well being departments warned the general public of at the least two potential public measles exposures on the hospital from the case. Members of the general public who visited the hospital’s pediatric emergency division from Mar. 3 to Mar. 4, or the Drugs 3 inpatient unit from Mar. 3 to Mar. 6, could also be susceptible to a measles publicity. Guests who imagine they could have been uncovered ought to contact their native well being division, or attain out to their physician or pediatrician.
The kid didn’t attend daycare or faculty whereas infectious, and different potential exposures are being assessed, in accordance with the native well being division.
“We’re actively working with public well being officers underneath established publicity protocols to make sure no additional circumstances come up from this incident,” Northwell Well being spokesperson Joseph Kemp stated in an announcement. “The scenario underscores the crucial significance of vaccinations, together with the MMR vaccine, and the necessity for them to assist stop illnesses like measles and decrease the danger of spreading these illnesses.”
Public well being officers urged residents to make sure that they’re up-to-date on measles vaccinations.
“Measles could be very severe. It’s far more than only a rash as problems can embody pneumonia and irritation of the mind, and sometimes leads to hospitalization,” State Well being Commissioner Dr. James McDonald stated in an announcement. “An important factor individuals can do to guard themselves is to make sure they’ve been correctly immunized towards measles and instantly get a shot if they aren’t.”
Youngsters ought to obtain the primary dose of the MMR vaccine at 12 months of age, adopted by a second dose at 4 to five years of age, in accordance with the childhood immunization schedule. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% efficient at stopping measles.
Public well being specialists stress that the MMR vaccine is protected and efficient. However vaccination ranges in some components of New York state have fallen beneath the 95% threshold of immunization protection wanted to succeed in herd immunity, or widespread neighborhood safety.
In Suffolk County, solely 82.6% of kids had acquired one dose of the MMR vaccine by 2 years of age as of January 1, in accordance with information from the state Well being Division.
Eliza Fawcett is a reporter protecting public well being in New York Metropolis for Healthbeat. Contact Eliza at efawcett@healthbeat.org.