Jefferson County Public Health is urging parents of infants as young as 6 months old to get their babies an early measles, mumps and rubella shot, as measles activity continues to spread across New York’s North Country. The recommendation applies to infants ages 6 to 11 months and comes as health officials watch case counts climb in neighboring counties.
According to nny360.com, measles cases have been reported in Lewis, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties, all bordering Jefferson County. As reported by localsyr.com, officials are advising infants ages 6 to 11 months old to get their measles, mumps and rubella shot, citing measles cases continuing to be prevalent across the state and in those neighboring counties.
Jefferson County Public Health Medical Director Stephen T. Grybowski called the early vaccination a “dose zero,” per the same outlet, stressing it does not replace the standard immunization schedule. “Measles is a serious virus with a very high infection rate in unvaccinated populations,” Grybowski said. Routine MMR doses are typically given at 12 to 15 months and again at 4 to 6 years of age, and infants who receive the early dose will still need both of those routine shots afterward.
Why County Officials Are Worried About Exposure
Jefferson County Director of Public Health Stephen Jennings said travel into the county could bring unknown exposure risk with it, noting that people travel into Jefferson County to work or visit. Jennings also cited potential exposure in urgent care clinics and emergency departments as seasonal respiratory illnesses circulate this time of year, per the same account.
The push for early vaccination follows a tragedy in neighboring Lewis County. A 7-month-old unvaccinated child in New York’s North Country died after contracting measles, according to The New York Times, marking the first death in the state from the viral disease in 30 years. As of mid-October, Lewis County had recorded 15 measles cases, all in people who were unvaccinated, the Times reported.
National Context Shows a Broader Vaccine Gap
The Lewis County death arrives amid a documented shift in childhood vaccination rates nationwide. About 4 percent of kindergartners across the United States received a nonmedical exemption for at least one vaccine during the 2025-26 school year, an 18 percent increase over the previous year, according to the Times.
Jefferson County’s approach mirrors steps taken elsewhere as measles spreads. In Wisconsin, where an outbreak that began in August has grown to 429 confirmed cases across 11 counties with eight associated hospitalizations as of November 3, the state’s Department of Health Services also recommends an MMR dose for infants aged 6 to 11 months if they are members of a family or community likely to be exposed to measles. That guidance, however, is not meant for every infant in a given geographic area, but specifically for those significantly likely to be exposed.
Wisconsin health officials noted a tradeoff with early dosing: the estimated effectiveness of a dose given before 9 months is about 58 percent, compared with about 83 percent for doses given at 9 months or older. The CDC says MMR vaccination is not routinely recommended for children before 12 months of age, but that it can be safely administered to children as young as 6 months if they are at increased risk of exposure to measles.
How Families Can Get Vaccinated
Jefferson County families can contact their child’s health care provider to schedule vaccination, or call (315) 786-3730 to arrange an appointment at the county’s weekly Immunization Clinic. Health officials are framing the early dose as an added layer of protection rather than a replacement for the routine series, as measles activity continues to be monitored across the region.
