Health officials on high alert after world’s most infectious disease is detected in New York City

Two cases of measles have been reported in New York City, officials have warned. 

Manhattan borough president Mark Levine said on Monday that two cases of measles have been identified in the Lower East Side and SoHo areas of Manhattan. 

No details have been released on the patients, and it’s unclear if they were NYC residents or traveled from abroad. 

Levine said the New York City Department of Health is ‘reaching out to people who may have been exposed to encourage testing.’ 

These bring NYC’s measles cases for 2025 to 13, just under 2024’s total of 14. 

Levine said the overall risk to New Yorkers is low, as the city has one of the country’s highest measles vaccination.

According to federal data, 98 percent of kindergarteners in NYC have had both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is 97 percent effective against the disease. And about 93 percent of two-year-old’s have gotten their first dose. 

However, he warned there are still ‘pockets of resistance’ in the city, mainly among religious groups like the Orthodox Jewish community.  

The cases come amid a nationwide measles outbreak that has totaled 1,454 cases across 42 states so far in 2025.

The majority (803) cases have been in Texas, while California has reported 20. 

Three people, including one in Colorado and two children in Texas, have died this year from the virus. 

It’s the largest outbreak since 2,126 cases were reported in 1992, according to CDC data. 

Levine warned on X that the measles cases in New York City come as health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has called for restrictions on childhood vaccines like the MMR shot and called for research investigating a long-debunked theory that the MMR causes autism. 

Levine wrote: ‘This news comes amidst concerted effort by RFK to undermine confidence in the MMR vaccine. 

‘Thankfully—for now—the measles vax rate in NYC remains high, giving us herd immunity. (93% of 2 year olds are vax’d). But pockets of resistance remain even here. 

‘The recent cases should serve as a reminder to all parents to make sure their kids are vax’d.’