Two unvaccinated people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania died from measles, marking the state’s first measles deaths in more than three decades and the first such deaths in the US this year.
Two people in Pennsylvania have died from measles, according to the state’s health department, marking the first measles related deaths in the state in more than three decades. These two cases also represent the first measles deaths reported anywhere in the United States this year.
The timing matters because the country is currently dealing with its highest number of measles cases in 35 years. Measles spreads easily through coughing and breathing, and it used to be a routine childhood illness before a vaccine came along to prevent it. Anyone without protection against the virus remains vulnerable to catching it.
Both Victims Were Unvaccinated
Pennsylvania’s health department confirmed that neither person who died had been vaccinated against measles. Both lived in Lancaster County, which has become the center of the state’s outbreak this year. That county alone has recorded at least 390 cases so far, and officials note it has historically had lower vaccination rates than the rest of Pennsylvania.
The broader outbreak across the state has led to at least 70 hospitalizations.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen addressed why this outbreak has caught so many off guard. “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,” she said in a statement.
A Nationwide Surge in Cases
Pennsylvania’s outbreak fits into a much larger national trend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports at least 2,777 measles cases across the country so far this year. That total already surpassed all of last year’s cases back in July, and three people died from measles in 2025 during what was already a year of widespread outbreaks nationwide.
How the MMR Vaccine Fits In
The measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, commonly known as MMR, remains the primary defense against the disease. According to the CDC, it strengthens the immune system enough to provide 97 percent protection for life. Most people who end up infected with measles were never vaccinated in the first place.
The CDC has been blunt about the risk this creates. “When measles gets into communities of unvaccinated people in the United States, outbreaks can occur,” the agency said.
A Controversial Change to Vaccine Scheduling
Complicating the picture further, President Trump signed an executive order in August that would split the childhood MMR vaccine into three separate shots, each administered during a different medical visit rather than combined into one.
Health experts have pushed back hard against this change, warning that breaking the vaccine into multiple appointments could make children less protected overall, reduce how many families follow through with vaccination, and leave more communities exposed to future measles outbreaks.
Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/us-measles-cases-hit-35-year-high-as-first-2026-deaths-confirmed-article-155985700
