New Measles Cases Reported in New York City, New Jersey

New cases of the measles have been reported in New York City and New Jersey as an outbreak in Texas — which has already led to one child’s death — continues, USA Today reports.

The New York Department of Health said two cases have been reported in NYC, though so far, none have cropped up in the rest of the state. Across the river in New Jersey, three cases have been reported, according to that state’s department of health. 

The first case in NYC was reported earlier this year, and the new one appears to be unrelated (there were 14 measles cases reported in the city in 2024). In a press release, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “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.”

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NJ Department of Health issued a similar call for vaccinations, saying that all three cases of measles in the state have been found in people who are unvaccinated. 

Last week, a school-aged child died from measles in West Texas, marking the first reported measles death in the United States in a decade. The child, who died after being hospitalized the previous week, was not vaccinated, the Texas Department of State Health Services confirmed.

The outbreak in West Texas has spread rapidly across nine counties, with 146 cases identified since late January. It’s the worst measles outbreak in Texas in more than 30 years. The majority of the cases have emerged from Mennonite communities, where many children are “undervaccinated,” a state health department spokesperson said. 

Last week, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downplayed the severity of the outbreak, saying, “It’s not unusual to have measles outbreaks every year.” Kennedy, a known vaccine skeptic, has since published an op-ed telling parents to consider vaccines without suggesting or recommending them outright.