For the first time in 35 years, measles deaths have been reported in the United States as cases continue to surge nationwide. Two unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania have died after contracting the virus, the state’s health department confirmed Tuesday. They are the first measles-related deaths reported in the country this year.
Both victims were unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County in south-central Pennsylvania, which has a large Amish population. The health department said in a statement that no additional information would be released to protect the individuals’ privacy. Pennsylvania has reported 393 measles cases so far in 2026, with approximately half occurring in Lancaster County. Only Utah and South Carolina have recorded more cases this year.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a news conference Tuesday that measles has become a “serious and growing problem” across the United States. “Illness and death from measles are completely preventable,” he said. “We already have the means to protect ourselves and our families from this disease, which is one of the most contagious diseases on the planet.”
Nearly 20% of people infected with measles in Pennsylvania have been hospitalized. The virus can cause severe complications, including pneumonia, the leading cause of death among children who develop measles. Measles infection can also cause brain swelling, encephalitis, hearing loss and intellectual disabilities.
Nationwide, approximately 2,800 measles cases have been reported this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That total is up from 2,289 cases in 2025 and significantly higher than the 285 cases reported in 2023.
Declining vaccination rates are fueling the ongoing measles outbreak. New CDC data released earlier this month showed that kindergarten vaccination rates declined for every routinely reported vaccine during the past school year. At the same time, the percentage of parents seeking nonmedical vaccine exemptions for their children reached a record high, rising from 3.6% to 4.2% nationwide. Because measles is highly contagious, approximately 95% of a community must be vaccinated to prevent an outbreak. In Lancaster County, just 87% of new kindergarten students are fully vaccinated.
Shapiro cited vaccine misinformation as a major factor contributing to the spread of measles in Pennsylvania. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is approximately 97% effective against measles after two doses, and serious side effects are extremely rare.
Shapiro said Pennsylvania health officials have held 91 pop-up vaccination clinics across the state this year and administered more than 4,100 doses in response to the outbreak. Approximately one-quarter of those doses were administered in Lancaster County.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promoted vaccine skepticism and called for changes to the childhood immunization schedule, recently said on CNN that areas experiencing measles outbreaks are “nearly all religious groups that are not vaccinating.”
Shapiro noted Tuesday that measles has been identified in 28 Pennsylvania counties and said it would be unfair to characterize the outbreak as a problem limited to any one community.
The governor said he was late to the news conference because he received a call from President Kennedy offering assistance with the state’s response to the measles outbreak. “I was very direct with him,” Shapiro said, adding that “the actions and rhetoric from this administration are having a negative impact on communities across America.”
As measles cases continue to rise, President Donald Trump recently signed a presidential order calling to “dismantle” the combined MMR vaccine. The current MMR schedule includes two doses, while separating the vaccines could require as many as six doctor’s visits to complete the series. More than 210 medical institutions and patient organizations issued a statement warning that the move could weaken protections for children and create further disruptions for families. The MMR vaccine has been licensed as a combined vaccine since 1971, and major medical organizations say there is no scientific basis for separating it into individual vaccines.
Source: www.wired.com