Overview
- State officials confirmed on Tuesday, Aug. 25 that two unvaccinated Lancaster County residents died of measles, the first measles deaths in Pennsylvania in 35 years and the first reported in the U.S. in 2026.
- Pennsylvania has about 393 confirmed cases across roughly 28–29 counties with nearly 20 percent of patients hospitalized and no fully vaccinated people among the cases.
- Health leaders have increased pop-up clinics and outreach and urged MMR vaccination because two doses are about 97 percent effective at preventing measles.
- Officials and experts say falling kindergarten vaccination rates and a rise in nonmedical exemptions are driving outbreaks, and critics say recent federal vaccine guidance and public messaging have worsened hesitancy.
- The surge has pushed U.S. cases to roughly 2,777 this year and risks affecting the country’s measles-elimination status, with an international review on the schedule for November.