Two Unvaccinated Pennsylvanians Die of Measles, State’s First Deaths From Disease in 35 Years Amid US Outbreak

Two unvaccinated residents of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have died from measles, the Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed Tuesday, marking the state’s first measles-related deaths in 35 years and the first reported measles deaths in the United States this year amid the country’s largest outbreak of the disease in decades.

Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen confirmed the deaths during a media briefing held at Lancaster General Health’s Women & Babies Hospital, declining to provide additional details about the victims, including their ages, in order to protect their families’ privacy. “My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss,” Bogen said in a statement.

Both individuals who died lived in Lancaster County, which has served as the epicenter of Pennsylvania’s growing outbreak this year. As of Tuesday, the state had confirmed 393 measles cases across 28 counties, with roughly half of those cases concentrated in Lancaster County alone, according to Bogen. Of those, 86 cases were diagnosed within the past week, and approximately 20% of confirmed cases statewide have required hospitalization, with at least 70 people hospitalized so far for measles-related complications. Bogen noted that none of the confirmed cases in Pennsylvania this year have occurred in people who had received both recommended doses of the MMR vaccine.

Dr. Jeffrey Martin, a physician at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital, addressed the significance of the deaths during the briefing, emphasizing the disease’s genuine potential severity. “These tragic deaths remind us that measles is not a harmless illness,” Martin said. He also explained the choice of venue for the announcement. “It’s appropriate that we’re having this press conference at our Women & Babies Hospital. Pregnant women and children are vulnerable to measles if they are not vaccinated,” he said. Officials declined to answer questions regarding whether either of the two people who died was pregnant or an infant.

Bogen emphasized that the state’s relatively low familiarity with measles, following decades without local transmission, has contributed to public underestimation of the disease’s risks. “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. “We want to ensure every Pennsylvanian has the information they need to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities.”

The federal government responded to the deaths as well. A spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a statement extending condolences. “HHS and CDC extend their condolences to the families and communities affected by two measles-associated deaths in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,” the spokesperson said. “CDC is working closely with state and local health” officials in response to the outbreak.

The deaths arrive amid a broader, historic resurgence of measles across the United States. According to CNN, the country has recorded more than 2,700 measles cases so far in 2026, surpassing last year’s total and marking a second consecutive record-breaking year for the disease. Measles was officially declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, largely as a result of the nation’s sustained vaccination program, a status public health officials have warned is now under genuine threat given the scale of this year’s outbreak.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths carry added political weight given recent federal vaccine policy changes. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at reducing the number of vaccines recommended for children, a move backed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that drew sharp criticism from pediatricians and public health experts. According to Axios, that order specifically called for splitting the childhood MMR vaccine into three separate shots administered at separate medical visits, a change health experts warned would make children less safe by decreasing overall vaccination interest and leaving more communities exposed to future outbreaks.

Kennedy has a documented history of anti-vaccine rhetoric, including a 2021 appearance as a keynote speaker at an event in Lancaster County, where he made unsubstantiated claims regarding vaccine safety, according to local reporting from that time. However, amid the current outbreak, Kennedy has more recently described the MMR vaccine as safe and encouraged people to get vaccinated against measles.

Bogen echoed that message directly in response to the two deaths, emphasizing the vaccine’s protective value despite the broader political controversy surrounding federal vaccine policy. “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,” Bogen said, according to CNN.

Pennsylvania has taken several steps in recent months to reinforce vaccination guidance amid concerns about shifting federal recommendations. According to Pennsylvania Capital-Star, the state’s Board of Pharmacy has moved to accept vaccination guidelines from established nongovernmental medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Last year, Pennsylvania also joined the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a multistate initiative developed alongside neighboring states specifically to coordinate public health and vaccination guidance amid what officials described as concerns over politicization within federal health agencies.

Measles remains one of the most highly contagious diseases known to medicine, spreading through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or breathes. Lancaster County has historically recorded lower vaccination rates compared with the rest of Pennsylvania, a factor health officials have cited as contributing to the county’s outsized share of the state’s confirmed cases this year.

Pennsylvania health officials have urged residents who believe they may have been exposed to measles, or who are currently experiencing symptoms consistent with the disease, to contact the state health department’s dedicated hotline at (877) 724-3258 for guidance. As the outbreak continues to expand statewide, officials indicated the response effort would remain a top public health priority in the weeks ahead, with the Post-Gazette characterizing the situation as requiring an “all hands on deck” approach from state and local health authorities.

This story includes information about an infectious disease outbreak involving fatalities. If you have questions about your own or a family member’s vaccination status or potential measles exposure, consult a health care provider or contact your state or local health department for personalized guidance.