U.S. Measles Deaths Reported | MedPage Today

Pennsylvania confirmed two measles-associated deaths, the state’s first in 35 years and the first for the U.S. in a record-breaking 2026.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health said both occurred in unvaccinated individuals in Lancaster County, but did not specify the individuals’ age or other additional details, citing privacy.

“Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness,” said Debra Bogen, MD, the state’s secretary of health, in a statement. “As a physician, I want to make sure that people understand that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles.”

One of the most contagious infectious diseases, measles often causes a characteristic rash and fever. Severe infections can lead to serious health complications or death, particularly in children younger than 5 years. One dose of the MMR vaccine is 93% effective at preventing measles, while two doses are 97% effective.

With 393 confirmed cases in 2026, Pennsylvania has the third-highest measles case count following South Carolina’s 670 and Utah’s 526.

Pennsylvania’s spike mirrors broader trends nationally, and comes as the second Trump administration has adopted a more vaccine skeptical approach under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official. President Trump just 2 weeks ago made debunked claims about vaccines and autism and falsely asserted that the combined MMR vaccine was “quite lethal.”

The latest CDC data for 2026 show 2,777 confirmed cases in the U.S. stemming from 36 outbreaks across 45 states — the highest total since 1991, when nearly 10,000 cases were confirmed. Last year the nation tallied 2,289 confirmed cases, including three deaths, the first in more than a decade.

Nearly all confirmed measles cases this year — 94% — have been in people who are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status, but vaccine rates have been declining in recent years. The national MMR vaccination rate among U.S. kindergarteners fell from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.4% in 2025-2026, according to the CDC. And the proportion of children with vaccine exemptions rose to 4.2% this year, up from 3.6% in 2024-2025.

The U.S. is on the verge of losing its elimination status, which it attained in 2000. In November, international health officials will meet to determine whether the U.S. retains its measles-free status.