Pennsylvania Reports First US Measles Deaths of 2026, Both Unvaccinated

Two unvaccinated Pennsylvania residents have died from measles, marking the first measles-related deaths in the United States this year, state health officials said Tuesday. Officials disclosed no details about the two people other than that they lived in Lancaster County, west of Philadelphia.

"My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss," said Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen. She said measles had been largely eliminated in the state for more than three decades, so people are not familiar with the disease and do not fully understand how severe it can be.

Pennsylvania has counted nearly 400 measles cases this year, state officials said. Lancaster County is known as the heart of the state's Amish community — a religious group sometimes reluctant to embrace modern medical interventions such as vaccines — and about 88% of kindergartners there were up to date on their measles vaccines during the last school year, according to state data.

Nationally, the U.S. is enduring its worst year for measles since 1991. Cases have surpassed 2025's record count, reaching 2,777 as of last Thursday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), compared with 2,289 cases in 2025 — itself the worst year in more than three decades — when three people died. The U.S. eliminated sustained local measles transmission in 2000 by maintaining high vaccination rates, but coverage has since fallen below the 95% level needed to prevent outbreaks, and last year the share of U.S. kindergartners with vaccine exemptions rose to an all-time high.

In November, international health officials are scheduled to meet to determine whether the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles-free status.