MAYOR ADAMS KICKS OFF PUBLIC REVIEW ON JAMAICA NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN TO CREATE NEARLY 12,000 NEW HOMES, MAKE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN INVESTMENTS TO AREA

Building on Two-Years of Extensive Community Discussions, Plan Will Include Significant Investments in Commercial Space to Create 7,000 Jobs, $300 Million in Sewer Improvements, and New Public Space 

  

Announcement Comes as Adams Administration Continues to Advance Bold, Transformational Housing Projects Across Five Boroughs  

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) Director and City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick today announced the start of the public review process for the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, a transformative proposal to deliver thousands of homes, thousands of jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars in investments to Jamaica, Queens. The proposal would update zoning to spur the creation of over 12,000 new homes — including approximately 4,000 permanently income-restricted affordable homes — to a 230-block area of this transit-accessible neighborhood. The plan also boosts commercial and industrial space, creating 7,000 jobs and new economic opportunities for residents. Beyond the zoning changes, the plan includes strategic investments, including $300 million for sewer improvements, transit access and open space, job training, and support for cultural institutions and faith-based organizations. Today’s announcement comes as the Adams administration continues to address the city’s housing crisis by advancing bold, transformational housing projects across the five boroughs. 

 

“A home is more than just four walls and a roof — it’s the foundation needed to achieve the American Dream and thrive in the greatest city on the globe. For the residents of Jamaica, we’re one step closer to making that dream a reality for generations to come,“ said Mayor Adams. “Jamaica is on the precipice of becoming a neighborhood of the future with good-paying jobs, affordable homes, and public spaces for families to enjoy. I applaud all the elected officials, community stakeholders, and everyday New Yorkers who made their voices heard to tailor this plan towards this community’s need. Jamaica’s best days still lie ahead and, together, we’ll build towards a better tomorrow.” 

 

"Jamaica is already an incredibly rich and diverse neighborhood, and we look forward to heralding its next chapter as we formally kick off the public review process for the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, which will deliver over 12,000 new homes and strengthen the local economy, as well as improving area infrastructure and quality of life,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing Economic Development and Workforce Adolfo Carrión, Jr. "I am grateful to the DCP team who has been leading this effort and hearing from the community for more than two years, as well as Councilmembers Williams and Gennaro and Speaker Adams for their ongoing support and partnership." 

 

“As we work to deliver more quality affordable housing in Jamaica, what turns units into homes — and homes into communities — are the resources that surround and support them. Mayor Adams’ infusion of over $300 million in sewer infrastructure, and addition of two new public plazas near core transportation infrastructure, lay the groundwork for growing neighborhoods,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeffrey Roth. “In partnership with the City Council, local residents and advocacy groups, we are ensuring that this holistic plan benefits new and existing residents in profound ways.” 

 

“It is simply not acceptable for a neighborhood with such extraordinary transit access to be constrained by a lack of housing and investment,” said DCP Director and CPC Chair Garodnick. “This plan will change that by providing housing, economic opportunities, and infrastructure upgrades that will help the neighborhood grow and thrive into the future. We developed this plan through a robust, collaborative process, and I encourage community members to continue to stay engaged as public review gets underway.” 

 

"Jamaica is a community defined by not only its historical significance to our city, but its status as an economic powerhouse and a hub of culture and diversity. Everyone who lives, works, or plays here knows its limitless potential, which we fully believe the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan will unlock," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "This zoning framework will unlock just that in the form of thousands of new homes, new jobs, and new opportunities for local families and visitors alike, and I'm excited by the prospect of this plan making its way through the land use review process. I encourage all Jamaica residents to stay engaged and be a part of this community conversation." 

 

Building More Affordable Housing 

 

Today’s milestone is a significant step towards building a more affordable Jamaica for working-class families. Currently, the neighborhood has no requirements for affordable housing, and restricts the ability of industrial businesses to grow and thrive. Thanks to two years of extensive community engagement, the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan is tailored to create new housing and economic opportunities in a thoughtful manner that best respects the character of different hubs and corridors of Jamaica. Altogether, the plan is expected to create over 12,000 new homes, with approximately 4,000 of them being permanently income-restricted affordable homes through the mapping of Mandatory Inclusionary Housing — the largest geographic area in New York City where this policy would apply to-date — and financing of affordable homes on public land. Utilizing programs from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the Adams administration has committed to building a total of nearly 120 income-restricted homes across five city-owned sites along Guy R. Brewer Boulevard and Union Hall Street in Queens.  

 

Additional details on the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan include: 

 

•   Downtown Core: Along Jamaica Avenue and Archer Avenue, a transit-rich area served by the E, J, and Z trains, zoning would allow high-density mixed-use developments with permanently affordable housing, active ground floor retail, and community services. Further north, between Jamaica Avenue and Hillside Avenue, densities would slightly decrease.  

•  Transit Corridors: Along Hillside Avenue, western Jamaica Avenue, Liberty Avenue, Sutphin Boulevard, Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, and Merrick Boulevard, zoning would encourage mixed-use, mid-rise developments with locally-serving retail and community facilities.  

•   South Core: Located immediately to the south of Jamaica Station and the Jamaica Center – Parsons/Archer subway station, mixed-use zoning would allow new housing in this area for the first time in over 60 years. It would also encourage commercial and light manufacturing near world-class transit resources. 

•   Industrial Growth Area: New growth manufacturing zoning would support new employment and local businesses. 

 

More Jobs, Better Public Spaces, and Investing in Infrastructure 

 

The proposal will also grow the local economy by creating over 2 million square feet of commercial and community facility space, which is anticipated to generate more than 7,000 new jobs. 

 

The Adams administration is also committing to several improvements to make sure Jamaica continues to be a thriving neighborhood where existing and new residents alike can live, work, and play. To expand capacity and facilitate the neighborhood’s growth, the plan will invest over $300 million in upgraded sanitary sewer infrastructure. This builds on infrastructure investment the Adams administration is continuing to make in Southeast Queens, including a $2.6 billion to install storm sewers and build a comprehensive drainage system in the area. 

 

Finally, for the public realm, the proposal also includes streetscape enhancements along Jamaica Avenue from the New York City Department of Transportation through Jamaica NOW. Other potential infrastructure improvements throughout Jamaica will be further discussed with the community throughout the public review process. 

 

Engaging with the Community 

 

The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan reflects the priorities of local residents and stakeholders, incorporating feedback from a two-year public engagement process that included 40 in-person and virtual public meetings attended by hundreds of New Yorkers, as well as approximately 3,000 comments. This engagement process was guided by a steering committee with over 50 neighborhood stakeholders, including elected officials, Queens Community Board 12, and many local advocacy groups. DCP also collaborated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Voice to Vision, an online tool that visualized how feedback gathered through community engagement shaped the plan’s vision and goals.  

 

The Jamaica Neighborhood Plan now begins the roughly seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, which includes reviews by Community Boards 8 and 12 and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, followed by hearings and binding votes at the CPC and then the New York City Council. Alongside today’s certification, DCP has also published the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan booklet, which provides detailed information on the proposal and the planning process to-date. 

 

The Adams Administration’s Record on Housing 

 

This year, Mayor Adams has doubled down on his commitment to build more affordable housing across the five boroughs. Last month, Mayor Adams and the NYCEDC announced the next phase of an ambitious, bold new vision for Coney Island in Brooklyn that will deliver 1,500 new homes and invest in the reconstruction of the historic Riegelmann Boardwalk. Additionally, Mayor Adams and HPD celebrated a $82 million investment to put homeownership within reach for more New Yorkers by expanding the HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program. Finally, the Adams administration has advanced several bold, forward-looking projects, including reimagining Gansevoort Square to build mixed-income housing, building 100 percent affordable housing at the Grand Concourse Library in the Bronx, advancing the 388 Hudson development in Manhattan to provide hundreds of critically-needed affordable housing units, and kicking off public review on the Midtown South Mixed-Use plan to create nearly 10,000 homes — all building on this year’s State of the City address. 

 

Since entering office, Mayor Adams had made historic investments toward creating affordable housing and ensuring more New Yorkers have a place to call home. DCP is advancing several robust neighborhood plans that, if adopted, would deliver more than 50,000 units over the next 15 years in Midtown South in Manhattan and in Long Island City and Jamaica in Queens. Yesterday, the CPC voted in favor of the Atlantic Avenue Neighborhood Plan. Last year, the City Council approved the Bronx-Metro North Station Area Plan, which will create approximately 7,000 homes and 10,000 permanent jobs in the East Bronx.  

 

Moreover, last December, Mayor Adams celebrated the passage of “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity,” the most pro-housing proposal in city history that will build 80,000 new homes over 15 years and invest $5 billion towards critical infrastructure updates and housing. In June 2024, City Hall and the New York City Council agreed to an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Adopted Budget that invested $2 billion in capital funds across FY25 and FY26 to HPD and the New York City Housing Authority’s capital budgets. In total, the Adams administration has committed $24.5 billion in housing capital in the current 10-year plan as the city faces a generational housing crisis. Mayor Adams celebrated both back-to-back record breaking fiscal years and calendar years in both creating and connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing. Last spring, the city celebrated the largest 100 percent affordable housing project in 40 years with the Willets Point transformation. 

 

Further, the Adams administration is using every tool available to address the city's housing crisis. Mayor Adams announced multiple new tools, including a $4 million state grant, to help New York City homeowners create accessory dwelling units that will not only help older adults afford to remain in the communities they call home but also help build generational wealth. 

 

Finally, Mayor Adams and members of his administration successfully advocated for new tools in the 2024 New York state budget that will spur the creation of urgently-needed housing. These tools include a new tax incentive for multifamily rental construction, a tax incentive program to encourage office conversions to create more affordable units, lifting the arbitrary "floor-to-area ratio" cap that held back affordable housing production in certain high-demand areas of the city, and the ability to create a pilot program to legalize and make safe basement apartments.    

 

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli Announces Sale of $540 Million State of New York General Obligation Bonds

 

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced the sale of New York State General Obligation (GO) Bonds totaling $539.6 million through competitive sale. Despite recent market volatility, strong investor interest in the state’s full-faith-and credit GO bonds resulted in favorable interest rates and produced savings for state taxpayers.

Specifically, three series of bonds were sold consisting of $365,255,000 of Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds, $8,485,000 of Series 2025B Taxable Bonds and $165,845,000 of Series 2025C Tax-Exempt Bonds.

The net proceeds from the sale will finance projects authorized by voter-approved bond acts and refund certain bonds to reduce debt service costs. The refunding saves New York taxpayers a total of $4.4 million over the life of the bonds, or $3.6 million on a net present value basis. The refunding will also mitigate the risks from federal proposals to eliminate the subsidy on Build America Bonds, increasing the total savings to $19.2 million, or $16.4 million on a net present value basis. The bonds are scheduled to be delivered on March 26, 2025.

“These bonds, all of which have been approved by the voters, will pay for essential investments in transportation, education and environmental projects,” DiNapoli said. “The state’s GO credit continues to have significant investor interest thanks to the safety and rarity of the credit, translating into favorable pricing and refunding savings.”

The winning bids were as follows:

• Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds to Jefferies LLC with a true interest cost bid of 3.650%.
• Series 2025B Taxable Bonds to Wells Fargo Bank, National Association with a true interest cost bid of 4.255%.
• Series 2025C Tax-Exempt Bonds to Jefferies LLC with a true interest cost bid of 2.730%.

The state received 7 bids for the $365.3 million of Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds. The net proceeds will finance projects authorized by the following bond acts: Pure Waters (1965), Environmental Quality (1972), Environmental Quality (1986), Clean Water/Clean Air (1996), Rebuild and Renew New York Transportation (2005), Smart Schools (2014), and Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs (2022), and will refund $30.4 million of outstanding New York State General Obligation Bonds. The Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds will mature over nineteen years.

The state received a total of 8 bids for the $8.5 million of Series 2025B Taxable Bonds. The net proceeds will finance projects authorized by the following bond acts: Clean Water/Clean Air (1996), Rebuild and Renew New York Transportation (2005), and Smart Schools (2014). The Series 2025B Taxable Bonds will mature over one year.

The state received a total of 9 bids for the $165.8 million of Series 2025C Tax-Exempt  Bonds. The net proceeds will refund $181.8 million of outstanding New York State General Obligation Bonds. The Series 2025C Tax-Exempt Bonds will mature over ten years.

A summary of bids received for each series can be viewed here: https://osc.ny.gov/press/docs/bond-sale-summary-2025.

The Series 2025A Tax-Exempt Bonds, the Series 2025B Taxable Bonds, and Series 2025C Tax-Exempt Bonds are rated AA+ by S&P Global Ratings, Aa1 by Moody’s Ratings and AA+ by Fitch Ratings.

Permits Filed for 694 East 142nd Street in Mott Haven, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for an eight-story supportive housing building at 694 East 142nd Street in Mott Haven, The Bronx. Located between Powers Avenue and Jackson Avenue, the lot is closest to the Cypress Avenue subway station, served by the 6 train. NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 83-foot-tall development will yield 286,049 square feet designated for community facility space. The building will have 236 residences, with sleeping facilities for Groups IIIA and IIIB. The concrete-based structure will also have a cellar and a sixth-floor rooftop terrace.

Alen Moghaddam of Urban Architectural Initiatives is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits have not been filed yet for the three-story residential property on the site. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - JOIN US: Trans Day of Visibility

 

MAYOR ADAMS KEEPS “MENTAL HEALTH WEEK” MOVING BY ANNOUNCING OVER 11,000 ENGAGEMENTS, 3,000 SERVICES DELIVERED TO NEW YORKERS IN CITY’S SUBWAY SYSTEM THROUGH SUCCESSFUL OUTREACH PROGRAM FOCUSED ON HOMELESSNESS AND SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS

 

Adams Administration’s Subway Safety Plan Has Connected More Than 8,400 New Yorkers Living in Subway System to Shelter  

  

Part of Adams Administration’s “Mental Health Week,” Highlighting City’s Multi-Agency Efforts to Connect New Yorkers with Mental Health Services   

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today kept “Mental Health Week ” moving by announcing a key milestone in the city’s Partnership Assistance for Transit Homelessness (PATH) program, which helps keep New Yorkers safe and healthy on the subway system. Since launching in August 2024, PATH has already had over 11,000 engagements with unhoused New Yorkers and delivered services — including shelter, meals, and medical help — over 3,000 times. Additionally, continuing to address the quality-of-life concerns of New Yorkers, members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) issued 290 summonses and removed 911 people from the transit system for various violations of the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA) rules of conduct or state law. The PATH initiative brings together members of the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS), NYC Health + Hospitals, and the NYPD Transit Bureau to connect New Yorkers living unsheltered in the subway system with shelter and care, and provides support to those with severe mental illness if unhoused and in the transit system. PATH teams consist of DHS nurses and outreach staff working alongside NYPD transit police who conduct outreach overnight at subway stations across Manhattan from 8:00 PM to 12:00 PM the next day.  

  

This week, the Adams administration is celebrating “Mental Health Week,” highlighting the city’s multi-agency efforts to support New Yorkers efforts to address mental health, ranging from serious mental illness to expanding resources to underserved communities — all supporting Mayor Adams’ 2025 State of the City commitment to make New York City the best place to live and raise a family.  

  

“Keeping New Yorkers safe is the number one commitment in our administration, especially on the subways, which millions of riders rely on every day,” said Mayor Adams. “When we came into office, we said the days of ignoring people in need — on our streets and in our subways — were over. Despite opposition, we continue to say ‘no’ to the cycle of homelessness that too often results when people with severe mental illness aren’t able to get help or are unable to recognize that they need help. That is why, as we recognize ‘Mental Health Week,’ I am so proud to share the great work our PATH team is doing to reach our most vulnerable. By using a co-response model that combines law enforcement with trained outreach and mental health professionals, this dynamic group can respond to any issue: whether it’s public safety, homelessness, or mental health. In a short period, PATH teams have already had over 11,000 engagements and delivered services over 3,000 times to New Yorkers in need. This program, combined with our Subway Safety Plan — which has already connected over 8,400 New Yorkers to shelter, with over 860 people placed in permanent, affordable housing — and our work to build unprecedented levels of supportive housing, means we are delivering on our mission to make New York City safer, more affordable, and the best place to raise a family.” 

  

“Through our intensified subway outreach efforts, we’ve connected 8,400 New Yorkers in need to shelter, and with the expansion of proven-effective models like Safe Havens, we’ve helped nearly 3,000 New Yorkers move in to permanent homes,” said New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. “With more recent initiatives like PATH we’re strengthening interagency collaboration to support harder to reach New Yorkers who are in critical need of quality care in safe and stable settings. We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals, the Department of Health, and the New York City Police Department as we work together to help some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers take the first step toward stabilizing their lives.” 

  

“The PATH program is an integral part of our mission to deter crime, improve quality-of-life conditions in our subway, and protect all New Yorkers," said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “The members of the NYPD and our mental health partners go into the transit system every night to provide our most vulnerable populations with the resources they need and deserve, while providing some peace of mind to daily commuters. Crime on the subway is down double digits for the third month in a row proving that we can enhance public safety without compromising our moral duty to help those in need.” 

  

PATH is a major advancement in the city’s embrace of “co-response” — a crisis response model gaining traction nationally, in which clinical professionals are paired with police to engage with members of the public in need of medical care and/or social services. Participating police officers receive specialized training in crisis de-escalation and allow their clinical partners to take the lead once safety is assured. While co-response is not meant to replace traditional outreach conducted without police involvement, in certain situations, the presence of police affords clinicians a greater sense of personal safety, enabling more meaningful engagement with those in need. Co-response also greatly enhances the ability of a clinician to initiate transport to a hospital for evaluation in circumstances where an individual exhibits symptoms of mental illness presenting a danger to themselves or others. While in the field, the interagency PATH teams engage everyone they see who appears to be unsheltered, offering individualized support based on the person’s expressed or observed challenges.  

  

In February 2022, Mayor Adams launched the Subway Safety Plan to address public safety concerns and support people experiencing homelessness and severe mental illness on New York City’s subways. Since the start of the plan, over 8,400 New Yorkers have been connected to shelter, with over 860 now in permanent, affordable housing.   

  

Mayor Adams has been on the forefront of implementing successful interventions, major investments, and direct services for people struggling with mental illness. In January 2025, following a 2025 State of the City commitment, the Adams administration took unprecedented action to curb homelessness and support people with severe mental illness by making a $650 million investment in the city’s most vulnerable populations. Additionally, the administration unveiled an innovative model, “Bridge to Home,” where NYC Health + Hospitals will offer a supportive, home-like environment to patients with serious mental illness who are ready for discharge from the hospital but do not have a place to go. By offering patients intensive treatment and comprehensive support, Bridge to Home aims to keep patients on a path toward sustained success, reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations, decreasing street homelessness and reliance on shelters, and lowering interactions with the criminal justice system.   

  

The Adams administration has made the largest investment in New York City history in creating specialized shelter beds to address street homelessness. The city has opened 1,500 Safe Haven and stabilization beds since the start of the administration and aggressively expanded street outreach teams. Thanks to these important investments, the Adams administration has connected nearly 3,000 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness to permanent housing citywide.  

  

Despite relentlessly delivering on this issue at the city level, the Adams administration understands that updates to state law are necessary to ensure that those experiencing severe mental illness get the support they need. That is why, two years ago, the Adams administration announced an ambitious plan to support New Yorkers living with untreated severe mental illness and experiencing homelessness, which included a new city protocol on involuntary removals and a package of proposed state legal reforms to maximize the city’s ability to serve this population. The Supportive Interventions Act would ensure that those struggling with severe mental illness receive the help they need, instead of the current and unacceptable status quo of waiting for something tragic to happen.  

  

This work is also supported by other efforts the Adams administration has undertaken to address the needs of New Yorkers with serious mental illness. As described in “Care, Community, Action: A Mental Health Plan for NYC,” the administration is committed to taking a public health approach to supporting people with severe mental illness, focusing on prevention and intervention, including by:  

  

•   Expanding access to mobile treatment capacity with five more Intensive Mobile Treatment teams that went live in December 2023 to serve people with high service needs.   

•  Expanding access to clubhouse services through awards that will serve up to 3,750 additional clients.   

•   Releasing the city’s first ever State of Mental Health Report and Special Report on Social Media and Mental Health.  

•   Promoting 988, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and crisis line for all.  

•   Developing a single-access system in collaboration with New York state to consolidate and streamline how New Yorkers with severe mental illness access services, which is expected to go live early next year. 

•   Expanding hospital-based response initiative to support people who have experienced a nonfatal overdose.  

  

The Adams administration has taken repeated actions to help those with mental health needs over the last three years. Just this week, Mayor Adams announced accomplishments in the first year of the “Behavioral Health Blueprint” that include restoring and maximizing inpatient capacity, expanding access to outpatient services, increasing services to special populations, enhancing social work, care management, and peer services, preventing violence and increasing safety, and building the behavioral health workforce.  

  

Among Mayor Adams’ top public safety priorities has been addressing transit crime and homelessness in New York City subways through enhancements in both social services and traditional law enforcement. In February 2022, Mayor Adams first launched the Subway Safety Plan to address public safety concerns and support people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, including some of the city's hardest-to-reach New Yorkers experiencing mental health and substance use challenges on New York City's subways. In the fall of 2022, Mayor Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul deployed an additional 1,200 police officers to subway platforms and trains each day. Following the end of that deployment in 2023, Mayor Adams directed the NYPD to surge an additional 1,000 police officers into the subway system each day to help keep New Yorkers safe and bring overall crime in the transit system down. In January 2025, in partnership with the Adams administration and Governor Hochul, the NYPD began deployment of two police officers on every train during overnight hours, seven days per week.  

  

These safety efforts are paying off, with overall crime in the subway system down 27.9 percent year to date. The double-digit year-to-date declines resulted from a 36.4 percent decline in January and a 15.1 percent drop in February. The year-to-date statistics also follow 2024’s conclusion as the second straight year of crime dropping in the subway system. Last year, overall crime in the transit system fell by 5.4 percent compared to 2023, as the number of riders increased by 4 percent.   

As Measles Cases Spread, Governor Hochul Launches New Web Portal to Support Access to Vaccines and Public Health Information

Four Cases Statewide in 2025; Three in NYC and One Rest of State

All New Yorkers Urged To Ensure They Are Current With All Recommended Immunizations, Especially Measles-Mumps-Rubella

Launches ny.gov/measles To Support Vaccination, Education and Provider Engagement

Governor Kathy Hochul launched a new web portal to support access to vaccines and public health information in the wake of measles cases in New York State. The Governor joined State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald to update New Yorkers on the cases and encouraged everyone to ensure they are current on all recommended immunizations. There have been four total cases of measles in New York State so far this year, three in New York City and one in Suffolk County. None of the cases this year are related to each other or connected to the outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico. The risk of measles to New Yorkers from these outbreaks is low.

“Measles doesn’t belong in the 21st century, and it certainly doesn’t belong in the State of New York,” Governor Hochul said. “As measles outbreaks occur at home and around the globe, it’s critical that New Yorkers take the necessary steps to get vaccinated, get educated and stave off the spread of this preventable disease — the safety of our communities depends on it.”

The New York State Department of Health and local health departments work together to monitor cases and alert the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All New Yorkers are urged to protect themselves by making sure they’re up to date on important, lifesaving immunizations.

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “The single way to prevent measles is to be immunized, and this is an irrefutable fact. Measles is much more than just a rash. In the current outbreak in the United States, one in five people are being admitted to a hospital. I urge all New Yorkers to ensure they are current on their measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) immunizations and immediately get vaccinated if they are not.”

Based on immunization registry data, the current statewide vaccination rate for babies up to two years old, excluding New York City, is 81.4 percent. This is the percent of children who have received at least one dose of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccines. However, actual vaccination coverage among school-age children is higher, typically around 90 percent.

Individuals should receive two doses of the MMR vaccine to be protected. Those who aren’t sure about their immunization status should call their local health department or health care provider. Those who were born before 1957 have likely already been exposed to the virus and are immune. Those born between 1957 and 1971 should check with a doctor to ensure they’ve been properly immunized as vaccines administered during that time may not have been reliable.

Those who travel abroad should make sure they are vaccinated for measles. Babies as young as 6 months can get an MMR if they are traveling abroad. The babies should get their MMRs on schedule and need a total of three MMRs.

The State Health Department is monitoring the situation very carefully, along with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Local health departments in each county are prepared to investigate cases and distribute vaccines or other protective measures as needed.

Misinformation around vaccines has in recent years contributed to a rise in vaccine hesitancy, declining vaccination rates and a black market for fraudulent vaccination records. The Department takes an active role in combating vaccination fraud. This includes work by the Department’s Bureau of Investigations identifying, investigating, and seeking impactful enforcement actions against those who falsify vaccine records, as evidenced by several recent cases announced by the Department.

Combating vaccine fraud is a collective effort that includes various stakeholders responsible for community health and safety. The Department works with schools to help them fulfill their responsibility of reviewing vaccination records for fraud. Additionally, the Department partners with the New York State Education Department, local health departments and school-nurse professional organizations around this critical effort. Moreover, the Department’s Bureau of Investigations, in particular, works to educate, engage and support police and prosecutors statewide regarding vaccination fraud, which under New York law is a felony-level criminal offense.

Measles is a highly contagious, serious respiratory disease that causes rash and fever. In some cases, measles can reduce the immune system’s ability to fight other infections like pneumonia.

Serious complications of measles include hospitalization, pneumonia, brain swelling and death. Long-term serious complications can also include  subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a brain disease resulting from an earlier measles infection that can lead to permanent brain damage.

People who are infected with measles often get “measles immune amnesia,” which causes their immune system to lose memory to fight other infections like pneumonia. In places like Africa, where measles is more common, this is the largest driver of mortality.

Measles during pregnancy increases the risk of early labor, miscarriage and low birth weight infants.

Measles is caused by a virus that is spread by coughing or sneezing into the air. Individuals can catch the disease by breathing in the virus or by touching a contaminated surface, then touching the eyes, nose, or mouth. Complications may include pneumonia, encephalitis, miscarriage, preterm birth, hospitalization and death.

The incubation period for measles is up to 21 days. People who are exposed to measles should quarantine 21 days after exposure and those who test positive should isolate until four days after the rash appears.

Symptoms for measles can include the following:

7-14 days, and up to 21 days after a measles infection

• High fever
• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes

3-5 days after symptoms begin, a rash occurs

• The rash usually begins as flat red spots that appear on the face at the hairline and spread downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.
• Small, raised bumps may also appear on top of the flat red spots.
• The spots may become joined together as they spread from the head to the rest of the body.
• When the rash appears, a person’s fever may spike to more than 104° Fahrenheit.

A person with measles can pass it to others as soon as four days before a rash appears and as late as four days after the rash appears.

Health care providers should report suspected measles cases to their local health department.

Visit the State Health Department’s dedicated measles website for information about the measles, immunization data and information for providers.

The State Health Department has also launched a new Global Health Update Report webpage to keep New Yorkers informed of ongoing and emerging infectious disease outbreaks. The report is updated every Friday.

Visit the CDC website for information about the measles vaccine.