Two people in Pennsylvania have died from measles, marking the first reported deaths from the disease in the United States this year. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said the two individuals were unvaccinated and lived in Lancaster County, the epicenter of a statewide outbreak that has sickened hundreds of residents. State health officials confirmed the deaths are the first measles-associated fatalities in Pennsylvania in 35 years.
Dr. Debra Bogen, Pennsylvania's health secretary, said the deaths underscore a growing public health concern. "Because measles was largely eliminated in the state for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don't fully understand the potential severity of the illness," Bogen said in a statement. She emphasized that the MMR vaccine is safe and provides the best available protection against the virus.
More than 2,700 measles cases have been reported across the U.S. this year, the highest number since the disease was considered eliminated in the country in 2000. In the past two years alone, the U.S. has recorded more measles cases than it did from 2000 through 2024 combined, according to federal health data.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause high fever, a distinctive rash, cough, and other symptoms. While some patients experience mild illness, about one in four people infected requires hospitalization. Young children, pregnant women, and the elderly face the highest risk of severe complications. No specific treatment for measles exists, making vaccination the primary defense.
The measles vaccine, delivered as a combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot series, is 97% effective at preventing the disease and reduces the risk of complications if someone becomes infected. Public health experts consider a vaccination rate above 95% within communities necessary for robust herd immunity.
National MMR vaccination coverage among kindergarteners surpassed 95% in the 2019-2020 school year but has declined steadily since then, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the 2025-2026 school year, coverage fell to 92.4% nationally and about 93% in Pennsylvania. In Lancaster County, home to the largest Amish settlement in the country, the vaccination rate was under 88%. An estimated 25% of the Amish population in Lancaster County is vaccinated against measles, according to the Association of Immunization Managers.
Vaccination rates began dropping notably during the COVID-19 pandemic and have continued to decline amid increasing anti-vaccine rhetoric and policy under the Trump administration. On Aug. 10, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for U.S. children to receive fewer vaccines and ordering the MMR vaccine to be split into three separate shots, despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting the change. Doctors and vaccine scientists criticized the order as unscientific and misleading.
Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, warned at the time that the executive order was "not only disheartening but dangerous" as measles cases reached a 35-year high and cold and flu season approached. The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine, with the first dose given at 12 through 15 months of age.
Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatric emergency medicine physician in Rochester, N.Y., advised parents to ensure their children are immunized amid the ongoing outbreak. "If your child is under age 1, talk to your doctor. Depending on how much measles is circulating where you live, your doctor may recommend an earlier dose," she said.
The CDC also advises adults who have not been immunized or are unsure of their vaccination status to get the vaccine. People vaccinated before 1968 with an older version of the shot should receive at least one dose of the current vaccine, which is more effective. For those fully vaccinated after 1968, no booster is needed, as two doses offer adequate, lifelong protection, the agency says.