New York, child dies of measles. It is the first case in 30 years

The United States is experiencing its worst measles epidemic in decades, with 4,800 cases reported, the highest number since 1990.

A child has died from measles in New York state. This is the first death from this disease in 30 years in the state. Governor Kathy Hochul made this known. The child was a resident of Lewis County in the northern part of the state, where the disease has spread over the past month. “As a mother and a grandmother, I can't imagine what this family is going through,” Hochul said, accusing the Trump administration of undermining U.S. vaccination campaigns and calling the case “a devastating reminder of what is at stake when Washington deliberately erodes decades of progress in protecting Americans from preventable diseases.”

The worst measles epidemic in decades

What the country is experiencing is the most serious measles epidemic in recent decades: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of October 29, there were 4,834 cases reported in 47 states, the highest number since 1990. Over 160 cases have been diagnosed in New York alone and the governor declared a state of emergency last month due to the spread of the disease. Health experts attribute the outbreak mainly to declining vaccination rates.

In-depth analysis

In Pennsylvania, where measles and vaccines break into the midterms

The return of measles to the USA

Measles was eradicated in the United States in 2000, after years of successful vaccination campaigns. However, the disease has seen a worrying resurgence in recent years, due to growing skepticism towards vaccines and mistrust towards health authorities. Measles, which causes fever, respiratory symptoms, painful skin rashes and, in severe cases, pneumonia and brain inflammation, continues to claim tens of thousands of lives around the world every year.