Two people in Pennsylvania have died from measles, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the first US measles fatalities of the year. In 2025, the country saw three measles fatalities, including two school-age children in Texas.
Both individuals who died were unvaccinated and resided in Lancaster County, where there have been 185 cases in 2026, making it one of the largest measles outbreaks in the United States this year. In total, Pennsylvania has had 393 cases in 2026, the third-highest tally in the country.
To protect the privacy of the individuals and their families, Pennsylvania’s health department said it will not release additional details that could personally identify them.
“My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss,” said Pennsylvania health secretary Debra Bogen, MD. “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.”
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.
The department says these are Pennsylvania’s first measles deaths in 35 years.
Bogen urged people to get vaccinated against measles. Two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine are 97% effective at preventing infection. In the rare instance of a breakthrough case, the vaccine protects against severe illness.
Deaths are heartbreaking and preventable
It’s no coincidence that five people have died from measles outbreaks since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, said Paul Offit, MD, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“He has for 20 years led a war on vaccines, a public relations war against vaccines,” Offit told CIDRAP News.
Kennedy’s “goal was to scare people about vaccine safety, and he’s been very Successful,” Offit said. “There’s been a continued erosion in vaccine rates, and I think he can take credit for that, certainly in part take credit for that. And this is what happens when you’re a successful anti-vaccine activist: viruses and bacteria re-emerge and start killing people.”
Offit, a pediatrician and infectious disease expert, treated children with measles during the 1989-1991 US measles epidemic, which sickened more than 55,000 people and led to 166 deaths. That outbreak led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to recommend a second measles vaccine for children. By 2000, the United States officially eliminated measles. The nation is likely to lose its elimination status because of ongoing measles outbreaks since last year.
“It is really heartbreaking to me,” said Offit. “I can’t believe we’ve had two deaths in this Commonwealth from something that is completely preventable.”
American Academy of Pediatrics president Andrew Racine, MD, PHD, echoed that sentiment.
“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,” Racine said in a statement. “Today, pediatricians call on our leaders to encourage MMR vaccination to stop the spread of measles in our communities.”
Earlier this week, Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, announced that it has restricted access to the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) because of a potential measles exposure from a hospital visitor.
It is heartbreaking to witness deaths from a disease that is preventable with a vaccine that has been widely used since the 1970s.
Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world and can linger in the air for up to two hours, infecting people who are not immune. Hospital staff “are going to have a tough time trying to make sure that everybody … is protected,” Offit said. “Obviously, you have a vulnerable population of children in the NICU. That’s a nightmare.”
Babies should get their first dose of measles vaccine early, at 6 months instead of the usual 12 to 15 months, if they live in or are traveling to an area with a measles outbreak, according to the Pennsylvania Health Department. Although vaccinating babies at 6 months of age offers temporary protection, that immunity does not last: Infants still need to be vaccinated according to the usual schedule, with a second dose at 12 to 15 months and a third dose at 4 years to 6 years.
Cases growing in Maryland, New York
To the north and south of Pennsylvania, measles cases are also rising.
New York state is alerting the public to an increase in measles cases. This year, the state has reported 29 cases, including six in New York City.
In Maryland, the state declared a measles outbreak in St. Mary’s, Carroll, and Cecil counties yesterday. Healthcare workers have investigated 14 new confirmed cases among unvaccinated Maryland residents; no public exposures have been identified in these cases. In total, Maryland has had 31 confirmed cases of the virus this year.
The overall risk of getting measles remains low if you are fully vaccinated, said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Meena Seshamani, MD, PhD.
“We ask that Marylanders join us in our effort to help keep our youngest safe and protect those who are most at risk,” Seshamani said.
As of August 20, 2,777 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States this year, surpassing the 2,289 reported for all of 2025.
Trump continues to spread misinformation about MMR and autism
Meanwhile, at the White House yesterday, President Donald Trump said he “reformed the vaccine recommendations to protect America’s youth.”
Trump signed an executive order two weeks ago that calls for reducing the number of childhood immunizations from 18 to 11 and breaking up the MMR vaccine into separate shots.
Although Trump said the executive order would lead to “a very big difference in the rate of autism,” there is zero evidence that autism is related to vaccines. Dozens of studies have failed to find any connection between the two. Global immunization efforts have saved at least 154 million lives, according to the World Health Organization.
Mehmet Oz, MD, director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, contradicted Trump Sunday during an appearance on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on CBS. Brennan repeatedly asked Oz if Trump was correct when he described the MMR as a “lethal” vaccine. After dodging the question multiple times, he replied, “No, the MMR vaccine is not a lethal vaccine, and it is offered in other countries.”