By Siddhi Mahatole and Sahil Pandey
Oct 7 (Reuters) – New York Governor Kathy Hochul will seek federal assistance to tackle the measles outbreak in the state, including support from the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, her spokesperson said.
Hochul will make a “detailed and specific request for assistance from the federal government,” spokesperson Nicolette Simmonds told Reuters late on Wednesday.
“No state can address this on its own, which is why the governor will partner with anyone who can support our efforts to protect New Yorkers,” Simmonds said.
New York declared a statewide disaster emergency over a measles outbreak earlier this week, seeking to expand access to vaccination and contain the spread of the highly contagious disease.
The state reported 108 measles cases through October 3, including 92 cases reported since July 15 in under-immunized rural communities across 18 counties, according to the governor’s office.
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offered federal support during a call with Hochul on Tuesday and connected her with CDC Director Erica Schwartz, while federal health officials stand ready to support New York’s outbreak response, HHS said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the Wall Street Journal’s Future of Health conference in Washington on Wednesday, Schwartz said Hochul had contacted Kennedy about the outbreak and that he gave her Schwartz’s contact information. She did not provide further details.
Schwartz recommended the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
The New York State Department of Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
CDC assistance has become politically charged under Kennedy, who has questioned measles-related deaths reported by states.
Pennsylvania, with more than 1,000 cases this year, has resisted seeking CDC help after Kennedy disputed the virus’s role in deaths there in a heated social media exchange with Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro. Texas and Virginia have sought CDC assistance.
(Reporting by Sahil Pandey and Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; editing by Caroline Humer, Anil D’Silva and Shinjini Ganguli)
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