Two cases of measles have been confirmed in New York City as of the end of February, according to the New York City Health Department.
Officials didn’t disclose the ages or vaccination status of the two cases, but they are urging parents to vaccinate their children.
The news comes as New Jersey has issued a measles alert in response to three confirmed cases in Bergen County.
According to NYC’s health department, the two cases are unrelated, with one occurring earlier this year.
“For each case, our agency conducts routine case and contact investigation and we ensure proper follow-ups for exposed persons.” acting commissioner of the NYC Health Department Dr. Michelle Morse told USA Today.
“Measles is highly contagious and can be deadly.”
The city had 14 cases in 2024, making up nearly all of New York State’s 15 total cases. The rest of New York State has no confirmed cases yet this year.
Measles were declared officially eliminated in the US in 2000, but cases have been on the rise in recent years. According to the CDC, there have been 164 cases across the US as of February 27, spreading across Alaska, California, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Rhode Island and Texas. Twenty percent of those cases have resulted in hospitalization.
Texas has had the biggest outbreak with 146 cases, and last week reported the country’s first measles death since 2015.
Measles, also called rubeola, shows no symptoms for the first 10 to 14 days after infection. Those who are infected then typically experience cough, sore throat, runny nose, pink eye, white spots inside the mouth, a blotchy skin rash, and fever, which can rise as high as 104 to 105.8 F.
It’s also highly contagious — people with measles can spread it for several days before the rash even appears.
According to the New York City Health Department. if a person has measles, 90% of those around them who are not vaccinated or immune through previous infection will get it.
Health officials have urged usage of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine as individual protection against the virus and to promote herd immunity.
“As a pediatrician and the State’s doctor, I want to remind everyone that immunization is safe and the best protection for your children against measles and other potentially deadly diseases,” State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said in a PSA.
“Measles is a very contagious, serious respiratory disease that causes rash and fever. In some cases, measles can reduce the immune system’s ability to fight other infections like pneumonia.
“I encourage anyone not vaccinated against measles to receive at least one dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and get their children vaccinated with two doses.”
Morse added to PIX11: “If you get the vaccine, the risk for measles for you is incredibly small, it leads to 97% coverage.”
While it’s very rare to get measles if you’re fully vaccinated, breakthrough infections do happen, with the CDC noting that they make up about 5% of total infections.
These are common in places where there in an outbreak, meaning there are more people with the virus, increasing potential exposure.
On Sunday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who has been outspoken in his vaccine skepticism — promoted the measles jab in a Fox News Digital op-ed.
“Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness with certain health risks, especially to unvaccinated individuals,” he wrote.
“Prior to the introduction of the vaccine in the 1960s, virtually every child in the United States contracted measles,” he went on, pointing to a fatality rate of 1 in 1,205 cases from 1953 to 1962.
“Vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical reasons,” he said.
