Two unvaccinated individuals have died of measles in Lancaster County, marking the first measles-related fatalities in Pennsylvania in 35 years and the first U.S. deaths from the virus in 2026.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health stated that both were residents of Lancaster County and had not received vaccinations for measles. In order to protect the confidentiality of the patients, no other information was released about them.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr Debra Bogen said: “My deepest sympathies are with loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss.”
These deaths have been reported against the backdrop of a wider rise in the number of U.S. measles cases that have risen to their highest point in 35 years. In 2025, there were three deaths attributed to the disease in the U.S., two of whom were young girls from Texas and another from New Mexico.
In Pennsylvania, there have been almost 400 cases of measles reported in 28 counties, with most cases found in southern Lancaster County. Over 50 per cent of cases occur in adults ages 18 to 49. It was stated that the number of cases reported is always lower than the real number.
Measles is among the most infectious diseases and can be controlled by vaccination. One to three people out of every 1,000 infected will die from the disease. Complications arising from the disease include pneumonia and encephalitis. As much as 20 percent of all infected people are hospitalized.
Bogen stressed: “As a physician, I want to make sure that people understand that the MMR vaccine is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles.”
They come less than one week after the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported an all-time high in the number of vaccine exemptions over one year, coupled with falling vaccination rates.
Maryland declared a measles outbreak on Monday in three counties with a total of 31 cases of infection, while in New York, the state has asked people to be vaccinated due to rising infections. Health experts in the region are asking people to get vaccinated if not vaccinated already.
2026-08-25 22:44:00
