Fifth Measles-Associated Death Reported in Pennsylvania as Outbreak Surpasses 900 Cases

Pennsylvania health officials announced on Sept. 30 that a Lancaster County resident has died after contracting measles, bringing the state's measles-associated death toll for 2026 to five. The Pennsylvania Department of Health did not release further details about the most recent case; state officials said all five people who have died this year were unvaccinated.

Instructions for a Measles vaccination is seen outside of the Lubbock Public Health facility on April 9, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas. The city of Lubbock has confirmed a second measles related death amidst an ongoing outbreak which began in late January. As of early April, the Texas Department of State Health Services have confirmed over 500 cases, within 22 counties, ranging from the South Plains toward the Panhandle.(Brandon Bell, Getty Images)

Outbreak Size and Scope

A measles advisory is shown tacked to a bulletin board outside Gaines County Courthouse on April 9, 2025 in Seminole, Texas. A second confirmed measles-related death has been reported in the city of Lubbock amidst an ongoing outbreak which began in late January. As of early April, the Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed more than 500 cases within 22 counties, ranging from the South Plains toward the Panhandle.(Brandon Bell, Getty Images)

Pennsylvania has emerged as the hardest-hit state in the current U.S. measles resurgence, reporting 943 confirmed cases across 39 counties. Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 3,659 confirmed measles cases as of Sept. 24.

Reading about immunizations at a vaccine clinic March 1, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas.(Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images)

Dispute Over How Deaths Are Counted

A sign reading "measles testing" is seen as an outbreak in Gaines County, Texas, has raised concerns over its spread to other parts of the state, in Seminole, Texas, on Feb. 25, 2025.(Sebastian Rocandio, REUTERS)

The latest fatality highlights an ongoing disagreement between Pennsylvania officials and federal health authorities about how measles-related deaths should be defined and counted. Pennsylvania reports a "measles-associated death" when a person with an active measles infection dies and meets state-defined criteria. The CDC's national tally currently lists only two measles-associated deaths in 2026 and has not disclosed the states or dates for those deaths.

Mary Bussey and Penny Noyce, both retired health care professionals, marked their faces with red dots to represent Measles during the "Stand Up for Science 2025" rally in Boston, Mass. on March 7, 2025.(Taylor Coester, REUTERS)

On its website the CDC notes the national death count "is subject to change" and that the agency will update reporting as new information and reviews become available.

The CDC has said it moved to using mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics for its national measles death count rather than relying solely on state health department reports. The agency is also working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to develop a standardized definition for measles deaths to ensure consistent reporting.

Matt Caldwell prepares a MMR vaccine at the City of Lubbock Health Department in Lubbock, Texas. on Feb. 27, 2025. Measles symptoms include fever and highly contagious respiratory symptoms.(Annie Rice, REUTERS)

That debate has become politically charged. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — described in recent reporting as a prominent vaccine skeptic — has questioned whether Pennsylvania's reported deaths should be included in the CDC's national figures. Secretary Kennedy and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro have publicly clashed over the state's reporting, exchanging accusations about how deaths are characterized.

A person walks past a sign at a health center where the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine is administered in Lubbock, Texas, on Feb. 27, 2025. Dozens of children are being rushed to a health center in the U.S. state of Texas to get the measles vaccine, after the recent death in the area of a child who was not immunized against the highly contagious virus. The death came as immunization rates have declined nationwide, with the latest cases in the west Texas town of Lubbock concentrated in a Mennonite religious community that has historically shown vaccine hesitancy.(Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

Public-Health Context and Vaccination

A health worker prepares a dose of the measles vaccine at a health center in Lubbock, Texas, on February 27, 2025. Dozens of children are being rushed to a health center in the US state of Texas to get the measles vaccine, after the recent death in the area of a child who was not immunized against the highly contagious virus. The death came as immunization rates have declined nationwide, with the latest cases in the west Texas town of Lubbock concentrated in a Mennonite religious community that has historically shown vaccine hesitancy.(Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

Measles is highly contagious but preventable. The CDC estimates that about 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the virus will become infected and that roughly one in five infected people requires hospitalization. Young children and infants who are too young to be vaccinated face the highest risks of severe illness and complications.

Devonay Pena comforts her 13-month-old daughter, Jaqi Herrera, after Herrera received her first dose of the MMR vaccine at the City of Lubbock Health Department in Lubbock, Texas, Feb. 27, 2025. Pena's daycare urged their attendants to receive the vaccine after a measles outbreak in Lubbock.(Annie Rice, REUTERS)

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine remains the most effective protection: two doses are about 97% effective at preventing measles. In response to rising concern over the outbreak, Pennsylvania health care providers administered more than 53,000 MMR doses in September alone.

Nina Warren, 4, gets a Measles Mumps and Rubella vaccine from CMA Cassie Couch at the UnityPoint Clinic in Des Moines, Iowa, on April 7, 2025.(Zach Boyden-Holmes, The Register via USA TODAY Network)

Why This Matters

The Ingham County Health Department held a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine clinic on April 22, 2025, at the office in Lansing, Mich.(Nick King, Lansing State Journal via USA TODAY Network)

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, but declining vaccination coverage in some communities has contributed to renewed outbreaks in recent years. Public-health officials continue to urge eligible people to get vaccinated to protect themselves and vulnerable populations, including infants and those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.

Photography and Reporting

Photographs accompanying earlier reporting show parents and children receiving MMR vaccinations at health clinics in Lubbock, Texas (Feb. 27, 2025), Des Moines, Iowa (April 7, 2025), and Lansing, Michigan (April 22, 2025), reflecting efforts to increase immunization amid recent outbreaks.