Onondaga County health director warns measles cases likely to appear locally
County medical director Dr. James Alexander said measles is expected to reach Onondaga County, citing recent case increases in neighboring counties and low statewide vaccination coverage among adults.
Onondaga County’s medical director, Dr. James Alexander, warned that measles is likely to appear in the county after a rise in cases across nearby regions and the state. He noted that the county has not yet reported a case but emphasized the disease’s high transmissibility.
Confirmed measles cases have been reported in several surrounding counties, including two in Wayne County on Sept. 12 and single cases in Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Chenango, Otsego, Steuben, Seneca, Tioga and Allegany counties since July. New York State has recorded 51 cases this year, up from 48 last year, while the nation has logged 3,294 cases in 2026, according to federal data.
Measles causes high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a spreading rash. About 20% of patients require hospitalization, and the fatality rate is roughly 0.1%. The virus is estimated to be six to nine times more contagious than COVID-19, and an unvaccinated person faces a 90% chance of infection after exposure, whereas vaccination provides about 97% protection.
Alexander said none of the upstate cases this year were vaccinated and urged residents who have not received the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to do so. The vaccine is 97% effective, he added. While childhood vaccination rates in Onondaga County are high—about 90% of children are vaccinated by age two and nearly all schoolchildren receive the shots before kindergarten—the overall county rate falls below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity. He estimated that at least 23,000 residents may be unvaccinated, noting that adults and homeschooled children who do not attend school functions are not required to be immunized.
The health director highlighted that certain groups, such as some Amish and Mennonite communities, have lower vaccination rates due to traditional practices, and that some recent immigrants may also be unvaccinated, although refugees and legal immigrants are generally required to provide proof of vaccination.
New York previously revoked religious exemptions for school vaccinations after a large 2019 outbreak in a downstate Orthodox Jewish community that infected more than 1,000 people. Alexander warned that inadequate vaccination rates could worsen the situation, citing the national increase in measles cases.