A Pennsylvania resident has died after contracting measles, state health officials said on Sept. 30, raising the state’s measles-associated death toll this year to five as officials grapple with one of the nation’s largest outbreaks.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health said the latest death involved a Lancaster County resident, but it did not release additional information on the case. All five people who have died were unvaccinated, according to state health officials.
The latest fatality comes as Pennsylvania has emerged as the state hardest hit by the nation’s measles resurgence in 2026, with 943 cases reported across 39 counties. Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 3,659 confirmed measles cases as of Sept. 24.
The death also adds to an ongoing dispute between Pennsylvania officials and federal health authorities over how measles-related deaths should be defined and counted. The CDC’s national tally includes only two measles-associated deaths in 2026, though the agency has not disclosed the states involved or when the deaths occurred.
A note on the CDC’s website states that the death count “is subject to change” and the agency “will update its reporting as additional information becomes available and relevant reviews are completed.”
Health officials continue to warn that measles — a highly contagious but preventable disease — poses the greatest risk to unvaccinated people, including infants too young to be vaccinated, and can cause severe complications.
Measles Death Counts Differ
The latest reported fatality occurred in Lancaster County, where two measles-associated deaths reported in August were the first in the United States this year. Two more fatalities were later reported in Jefferson and Mifflin counties in mid-September.
Pennsylvania continues to report a “measles-associated death” when a person with an active measles infection dies and meets a set of state criteria. The differing totals reflect a broader disagreement between state and federal officials over how measles deaths should be defined.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, has questioned whether the Pennsylvania deaths should be included in the CDC’s national count. Reuters previously reported that Kennedy sought removal of two Pennsylvania deaths from the federal tally after CDC staff had initially accepted the state’s characterization.
Kennedy and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro have clashed over the state’s reporting of measles-associated deaths. Kennedy accused the governor of “fabricating” deaths linked to measles, while Shapiro accused Kennedy of “downplaying the severity of measles.”
The CDC then announced it had shifted to using mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics for its national measles death count, rather than relying on state health departments, a change that has drawn scrutiny.
In a Sept. 24 statement, the CDC said it is also working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to establish a standardized definition for measles deaths in an effort to ensure consistent reporting across jurisdictions.
Reuters reported earlier this month that Pennsylvania sought emergency CDC assistance on the condition that the federal government recognizes measles-associated deaths reported by the state.
Cases Rise as Vaccination Concerns Grow
The United States has recorded more measles cases this year than it did during all of 2025, extending a resurgence that public health experts have linked in part to declining vaccination coverage. There were 2,289 confirmed measles cases, including three deaths, last year, according to CDC data.
Measles was previously declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, a milestone health officials hailed as a major public health achievement. But declining vaccination rates in some communities have contributed to renewed outbreaks.
About 90% of unvaccinated people who are exposed to the virus become infected, according to the CDC, and roughly one in five infected people requires hospitalization. Young children face some of the highest risks of severe illness and complications.
The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine remains the most effective protection against measles. The CDC says two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective at preventing measles.
The measles outbreak has unfolded amid debates over vaccines. Last month, President Donald Trump criticized the combined MMR vaccine and called for it to be split into three separate shots. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released in September also found that Americans’ trust in vaccines for childhood diseases, including measles, has declined in recent years.
Health officials continue to stress that higher vaccination rates are critical to curbing transmission and protecting people at greatest risk of severe illness. Pennsylvania officials said health care providers administered more than 53,000 MMR vaccine doses in September alone as concern over the outbreak grew.
Add a Comment