Two measles-associated deaths have been reported in Pennsylvania as the state grapples with a growing outbreak that has sickened hundreds of people this year, according to health officials. The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed the deaths, which involved two unvaccinated Lancaster County residents, marking the first measles-related deaths recorded in the commonwealth in 35 years. The deaths come as measles cases continue to rise across Pennsylvania and the country.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health, which did not say when the deaths occurred, has confirmed 393 cases across 28 counties in the state this year, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded 2,777 cases nationwide, the highest annual total reported in more than 35 years. It is unclear if the two people who died were children. Newsweek reached out to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by email for comment on Tuesday.
The fatalities reported amid federal health officials and political leaders sending mixed messages about the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine. While President Donald Trump said last week that the combined vaccine could be "quite lethal," Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said Sunday that the MMR vaccine is not lethal when asked about the president's comments.
Trump recently signed an executive order seeking to reshape federal vaccine guidance by promoting separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations instead of the combined MMR shot. Public health authorities continue to recommend the two-dose MMR vaccine as the most effective way to prevent measles, which is highly contagious and can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling and death in rare cases. Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health shows infections spread across multiple regions, highlighting the scale of an outbreak that mirrors a broader national resurgence of the highly contagious virus.
Measles cases have been reported across much of the state, with outbreaks affecting numerous counties. According to state officials, 393 cases have been confirmed in 2026, with Lancaster County among the areas most heavily affected with 177 recorded cases since April. Public health officials closely monitor case totals because measles is one of the most contagious viruses.
A single infected person can spread the disease to multiple others in communities where vaccination rates have fallen below levels needed for herd immunity. The outbreak has prompted renewed efforts to encourage vaccination and educate residents about the risks associated with measles infection. Debra Bogen said in a press release.
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