New York state reports 1st measles-associated death in over 30 years
The measles virus, transmission microscopy view. (BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
New York state health officials reported a measles-associated death in a child on Monday amid an ongoing outbreak.
It’s the first known measles-associated death in the state in over 30 years, health officials said.
“We are deeply saddened by the death of a child in Lewis County associated with the ongoing measles outbreak,” the New York State Department of Health and Lewis County Public Health said in a joint statement on Monday. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the child’s family and loved ones and ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.”
No additional information on the case was released.
The development comes a month after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency in response to the measles outbreak across areas of New York and neighboring states.
As of Oct. 24, New York has recorded 178 measles cases this year, including eight in New York City, according to health officials.
The emergency order allows registered nurses to order specimen collection and testing for suspected measles cases.
It marked the first time a state has issued an emergency order since measles cases began rising last year. At least 96% of measles cases in the U.S. this year have been among people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
Early symptoms include cough, runny nose, fever as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit and red, watery eyes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Two to three days after symptoms start, patients may develop Koplik spots, which are tiny white spots that may appear inside the mouth on the inner cheek.
Three to five days after symptoms start, patients may experience a rash, first appearing on the face at the hairline before moving downwards to the neck, chest, stomach, arms, legs and feet. Fever may spike even higher than 104 F when the rash appears, the CDC says.
Nationally, more than 4,800 measles cases have been confirmed this year in the U.S., with infections reported in almost every state, according to the CDC. It’s the highest number of illnesses from measles since 1991.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective in preventing measles infection, and two doses are 97% effective, the CDC says.
Infants aged 6 to 11 months living in or traveling to high-risk outbreak areas may receive an early third dose of the MMR vaccine.
ABC News’ Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The family of a pregnant woman who died sued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday, claiming she was denied an abortion that could have saved her life.
Tierra Walker, a 37-year-old from San Antonio, died in December 2024 when she was 20 weeks pregnant. She had been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia at the time, according to the family.
Walker’s family alleges that she and family members asked for an abortion as they say she reportedly faced seizures and blood clots. The family claims that doctors refused to treat her.
The lawsuit also names the executive director of the Texas Medical Board, the University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center, Bexar County Hospital District, individual doctors and Joe Gonzales, the district attorney for Bexar County. Additionally, the suit alleges that Texas’ abortion ban is unconstitutional.
Abortion is banned in Texas with very limited exceptions and criminal and civil penalties for providers.
The lawsuit was filed by Amplify Legal, the litigation arm of the nonprofit Abortion in America, and the Marynell Maloney Law Firm.
“Tierra Walker was a wife, mother, and the glue that held together her extended family,” Molly Duane, the litigation director of Amplify Legal, said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Throughout the four months of her pregnancy, Tierra and her family repeatedly asked for an abortion. Yet, none of her medical providers came forward to say what everyone knew to be true-that this pregnancy was going to kill her.”
Duane continued, “Tierra Walker is proof that there is no exception because if she did not qualify, if even her doctors were too scared to act, then the medical emergency exception is nothing more than words on a page. And I just have to say that I’ve been doing this work in Texas for many years, and reading Tierra’s medical records is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.”
Duane said the plaintiffs are seeking financial compensation for the Walker family and a legal change in the context of the constitutional allegation made.
The complaint, filed in Bexar County, alleges that Walker struggled with chronic health issues, including obesity, uncontrolled high blood pressure, a seizure disorder, Type 2 diabetes with hyperglycemia, asthma so severe she had required intubation and complicated prior pregnancies.
According to the complaint, Walker’s health was improving by mid-2024. However, her family says she suffered multiple seizures for the first time in nearly a year in September 2024 and was rushed to the hospital.
At University Hospital in San Antonio, Walker learned she was nearly six weeks pregnant and suffering from elevated blood pressure, according to the complaint.
During the hospitalization, Walker allegedly suffered more seizures and reported being in “significant pain,” according to the complaint. She was sent home with a blood glucose monitor and instructions to follow up pre-natal care, the lawsuit alleges.
In late October, at 11 weeks pregnant, Walker went to Kenwood Women’s Health Clinic with high blood pressure and a “severe” blood clot in her left leg, the lawsuit alleges. She was transported to the hospital’s main emergency room, according to the complaint.
“Ms. Walker and her family members told hospital staff and the UTHSCSA doctors that the pregnancy was going to cost Ms. Walker her life, and asked if she could terminate the pregnancy,” the lawsuit alleges. “Despite the clear risk to her life in continuing the pregnancy, none of University Health’s staff counseled Ms. Walker on the possibility of abortion as a life-saving medical treatment, offered her this treatment, or suggested that she leave the state. Instead, hospital staff kept insisting ‘nothing is wrong with the baby’ and continued to refuse the care that she needed on that basis.”
According to the complaint, Walker received a thrombectomy to remove the clot but her symptoms, including seizures, nausea, headaches, asthma and high blood pressure, persisted.
Two days after being discharged, Walker returned to the emergency room, reporting abdominal pain and vomiting, the complaint alleges. She was given anti-nausea medication and sent home, according to the complaint.
Between Nov. 7 and Dec. 27, she attended regular prenatal appointments but did not receive more than an ultrasound examination and education about her various health conditions, the complaint states.
Walker was diagnosed on Dec. 27 with pre-eclampsia at the University Health emergency room, according to the complaint. Her health deteriorated rapidly and, after being discharged, she was found unresponsive at home by her teenage son on Dec. 30, according to the complaint.
“It’s horrible that she’s gone and she was taken from us this way,” LaTanya Walker, Tierra Walker’s aunt and lead plaintiff, said during Wednesday’s press conference. “It’ horrible that she’s not here anymore. It’s horrible that we can’t have holidays.”
ABC News could not independently verify the medical claims included in the lawsuit.
ABC News has reached out to Paxton’s office, the Texas Medical Board, and Gonzales’ office for comment. It’s unclear if the individual doctors have legal representation.
A spokesperson for the University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center told ABC News, “We don’t have any information to offer at this time.”
In a statement to ABC News, University Health said it “cannot comment on or disclose information about any individual patient’s care without appropriate authorization. We are also unable to comment on matters related to potential or ongoing litigation.”
The statement continued, “In general, our clinicians make patient care decisions based on each patient’s clinical condition, applicable medical standards and legal requirements. We take concerns about patient care seriously and review them through appropriate internal clinical and quality processes.”
(NEW YORK) — Two people have died in Pennsylvania from measles, the state health department said Tuesday. Both were unvaccinated.
These the first deaths related to measles within the state in 35 years, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the first deaths reported this year in the U.S.
“My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss,” Dr. Debra Bogen, the state’s secretary of health, said in a statement. “Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness.”
In late July, the number of confirmed measles cases in the U.S. surpassed the total reported for all last year, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Last year’s total of 2,289 was the highest number of recorded measles cases in more than 30 years, CDC data shows. However, the 2,777 total marks the highest number of cases recorded since 1991.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective and two doses are 97% effective against measles, the CDC says.
