Key Takeaway:
- Pennsylvania reports its fifth measles-associated death as cases reach 943 across 39 counties.
- Lancaster County remains the outbreak’s epicenter, with 381 cases and three deaths.
- State health officials have administered more than 8,500 MMR vaccine doses this year.
Pennsylvania measles cases have reached 943 across 39 counties as the state reports its fifth measles-associated death of 2026.
Pennsylvania Reports Fifth Death
The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Wednesday that an unvaccinated Lancaster County resident has died of measles. The department has not released additional information about the person.
Lancaster County, the outbreak’s epicenter, has reported 381 cases and three of the five deaths. The county’s latest death follows two earlier deaths involving infants too young to receive routine measles vaccination.
The other two deaths involved an unvaccinated 18-year-old from Mifflin County who developed a severe neurological complication and an unvaccinated 40-year-old woman with chronic underlying conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The state has reported 119 new cases in the past seven days, bringing the total to 943. At least 176 people have been hospitalized.
Pennsylvania Measles Cases Surpass 900
The increase in Pennsylvania measles cases comes as the state records its first measles-associated deaths in 35 years. The five deaths are also the only measles deaths reported in the United States this year, according to the state health department’s figures.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports at least 3,659 measles cases nationally this year, the highest annual total since 1991. The agency currently counts two measles deaths, fewer than the five deaths reported by Pennsylvania.
The difference reflects separate reporting criteria used by the CDC and Pennsylvania. The CDC has changed how it determines which deaths are counted as measles deaths, according to the report provided for this story.
Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 after decades of high vaccination coverage. The virus can spread rapidly among people who are not protected by vaccination.
The United States recorded three measles deaths in 2025, including two school-aged children in Texas and an adult in New Mexico. Before those deaths, the country had not recorded a measles death since 2015.
State Expands Vaccination Efforts
Pennsylvania health officials are increasing vaccination efforts as cases continue to spread. State nurses have administered more than 8,500 doses of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine this year, including more than 5,500 doses at pop-up clinics in outbreak areas.
“The best protection against measles remains getting fully vaccinated,” the Pennsylvania Department of Health said Wednesday.
The department said the MMR vaccine is given in two doses and provides 97% lifetime protection against measles. Health officials continue to urge residents to ensure they are fully vaccinated, particularly in areas affected by the outbreak.
The growing outbreak comes as vaccination rates have declined in recent years and exemptions from vaccination requirements have increased in parts of the country.
