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Concern over measles outbreaks
Dr. Jay Varma, Chief Medical Officer at SIGA Technologies, addresses concerns as Florida deals with a measles outbreak.
NEW YORK - New York City health officials have confirmed the first two cases of measles to be found in the Big Apple in 2024.
In a statement to FOX 5 NY, NYC Health said that the cases were both related to international travel, but were not related to each other.
"Measles is always a cause for concern and as soon as a case is identified, the city takes action to identify anyone who may have been exposed, provide guidance, and connect people with appropriate resources," NYC Health said in the statement. "The single most important thing we can do to be safe is to get vaccinated."
Officials say that the city typically sees a few cases of measles each year. For example, there were six cases in 2015 and one in 2016. There were none in 2020, 2021, or 2022 during the COVID-19 emergency when travel was limited, and there was one in 2023.
According to the CDC, there have been a total of 41 measles cases reported nationwide through February 29.
Authorities say that 97.3% of children in New York City have been vaccinated against measles, compared to an average of 93.1% nationally.