Pennsylvania Reports First Measles Deaths in 35 Years

Two unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania have died from measles-associated complications, marking the first measles-related deaths in the state in 35 years and the first U.S. measles fatalities of 2026. The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed the deaths on Tuesday, saying both individuals were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, the epicenter of a major outbreak that has sickened nearly 400 people across the state this year.

“My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss,” said Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen in a statement. “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.”

A Statewide Outbreak

The deaths come amid the largest measles outbreak the United States has experienced in three decades. Pennsylvania has confirmed 393 measles cases across 28 counties so far in 2026, with Lancaster County accounting for roughly 185 infections, according to state health data. Nearly 20% of those diagnosed have required hospitalization, and children made up about one-third of patients. None of the patients diagnosed in Pennsylvania this year have been fully vaccinated.

Measles kills one to three people per 1,000 cases, according to health officials. Three people died of measles nationwide in 2025, including two school-age children in Texas.

National Crisis Worsens

The U.S. has reported 2,777 confirmed measles cases as of August 20, surpassing the 2,289 reported for all of 2025, according to CIDRAP News. Cases have been confirmed in 45 states plus New York City and Washington, DC, with 94% of patients unvaccinated or of unknown vaccination status. The nation’s 2026 total represents the highest annual figure since 1991.

Pennsylvania reports the third-highest number of measles cases in the country for 2026, behind Utah and South Carolina. The outbreak has also spread regionally: Maryland declared a measles outbreak in St. Mary’s, Carroll, and Cecil counties on Monday, with 31 confirmed cases, according to WBAL. New York has reported 29 cases, Delaware 22, and Ohio 142.

Declining Vaccination Rates

Public health experts point to declining immunization rates as the root cause of the resurgence. MMR vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergarteners fell to 92.4% during the 2025-26 school year, below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity, while vaccine exemptions reached a record 4.2% nationally, according to Newsweek. Exemptions increased in 41 states and Washington, DC.

Lancaster County’s two-dose MMR coverage among kindergartners was just 89% in the 2024-2025 school year. The county is home to one of the country’s largest Plain communities, including Amish and conservative Mennonite families, which has been disproportionately affected by the outbreak. Notably, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke in Lancaster County in July 2021 to a crowd of roughly 1,500 people, largely from the Plain community, claiming vaccines had never been properly tested for safety, as Welltica reported.

Experts React

Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said the deaths are a direct consequence of declining vaccination rates. “It is really heartbreaking to me,” Offit told CIDRAP News. “I can’t believe we’ve had two deaths in this Commonwealth from something that is completely preventable.”

Andrew Racine, MD, PhD, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, issued a statement calling on leaders to encourage MMR vaccination. “In 2026, decades after measles was eliminated in the United States, it is heartbreaking to witness deaths from a disease that is preventable with a vaccine that has been widely used since the 1970s,” he said.

Political Context

The deaths come two weeks after President Trump signed an executive order calling for reducing childhood immunizations from 18 to 11 and splitting the MMR vaccine into separate shots. Trump has linked vaccines to autism, a claim repeatedly debunked by scientific studies. The Guardian reported that the announcement also follows CDC data showing the largest ever one-year increase in requests for vaccine exemptions.

What’s Next

Health officials urge anyone who is unvaccinated or unsure of their vaccination status to get the MMR vaccine, which provides 97% lifetime protection after two doses. Pennsylvania has launched a measles dashboard and tripled vaccinations at state health centers in Lancaster County. As the outbreak continues to spread across the Northeast, the coming weeks will test whether public health messaging can reverse the trend of declining immunization rates before more lives are lost.