20/10/2026
Protect your child from Measles, Mumps, and Rubella! β€οΈ
The MMR vaccine helps prevent these highly contagious diseases and their serious complications. Keep your child protected and updated with their immunization schedule.
Bakuna ang proteksyon, kalusugan ang prioridad! οΏ½
π¦ New York has declared a state disaster emergency over measles, as US cases this year climb to around 4,000, the highest since 1991.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the order on October 5. It runs until November 4.
As of October 3, New York had recorded 108 measles cases this year. Most were in rural communities with low vaccination rates, spread across 18 counties.
The order makes it easier to get vaccinated. Pharmacists can now give the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, to children as young as 2.
Paramedics and midwives can also give the vaccine, and nurses can order tests for suspected cases.
Nearby Pennsylvania has had more than 1,000 cases this year, its largest outbreak in about three decades. Nearly 200 people were hospitalized there, and five deaths have been linked to measles.
Across the US, infections have now been reported in almost every state. At least 95% of cases were in people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known. It can cause pneumonia, brain swelling and death, especially in young children.
Early signs include fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, followed by a rash that starts at the hairline.
Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles.
Experts say about 95% of people need to be vaccinated to stop outbreaks. But only 92.4% of US kindergartners had the vaccine in the 2025 to 2026 school year, down from 95.2% five years earlier.
Vaccine exemptions for kindergartners also reached a record 4.2%.
The US declared measles eliminated in 2000, meaning it no longer spread year round. The Pan American Health Organization will decide in November whether the country keeps that status.
Anyone unsure of their vaccination status can check with a doctor or local health department.
