WATERLOO — Seneca County Public Health Director Scott King said that while there have been just five confirmed cases of measles, he knows there are dozens of other county residents who are likely sick with the illness.
King said the numbers of unvaccinated people who have been exposed and are ill “meets the definition of an outbreak.” The New York State Department of Health defines an outbreak as an increased incidence of disease above its expected or baseline level; disease rates that go higher than normal for a specific time, place, or group.
King was asked for an update at this week's Board of Supervisors’ Health and Human Services Committee meeting. For privacy concerns, he has said he could not and would not identify the county’s large Amish community specifically as being the group of unvaccinated individuals.
However, it is known that most members, for religious reasons, have been resistant to receiving the measles, mumps and rubella — or MMR — vaccine, as well as other vaccines. And, through anecdotal conversations since July, it is also known that members throughout the Amish community have been ill with measles.
King said it’s not just in Seneca County. Other counties with large Amish and Old Order Mennonite populations who do not believe in vaccines are seeing measles cases, too. Also, without mentioning those populations specifically, he noted Tioga County is also experiencing measles.
He said one person with measles exposes 18 other people on average; if they are not vaccinated, it is “90% certain they will contract it.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Tuesday that it has recorded two measles-associated deaths, the first in 35 years. The department said both individuals were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, which has large Amish and Mennonite populations. There have been 393 cases in Pennsylvania in 29 counties so far in 2026.
King said there has been some increased interest among the population of the unvaccinated here in receiving the MMR vaccine. He said his staff has ramped up “porch vaccines,” traveling to peoples’ homes to administer them as part of a response plan. But, he cautioned that they are not getting ahead of the illness because it is so easily transmitted and lives in a room’s shared air space for hours after the infected person has left it.
He said of the five confirmed cases in Seneca County, two people were sick enough to be hospitalized.
Because of the insular population, he said the overall risk to the public remains low, particularly for individuals who are fully vaccinated against measles or were born before 1957 and are presumed to have natural immunity. Those most at risk of infection include unvaccinated infants, children, or adults; pregnant women; and those with weakened immune systems.
Measles is a vaccine-preventable illness that can result in serious health complications. The virus is extremely contagious and can spread through coughing and sneezing. It can remain alive and infectious in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person has left the room.
The best way to prevent measles is to be vaccinated. Individuals are recommended to receive two doses of MMR vaccine to be protected. Two doses are 97% effective at preventing measles.
He advised people who think they might have been exposed to check immunization records to ensure their families are up to date on the MMR vaccine.
The Seneca County health department offers the measles and other vaccinations for county residents who are underinsured or uninsured. Call 315-539-1920 to find out if you qualify or go to www.senecacountyhealthny.gov.
