Decades after it was officially declared eliminated in the United States, measles has made a resurgence, with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcing the third death of the year from the virus. Matt Ferrari, director of Pennsylvania State University’s Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, said the US was so successful at wiping out measles that it had “the luxury to forget” it was a serious problem. Pennsylvania has been hit especially hard in the most recent outbreak.
In September, the state sought emergency support from the CDC to control the spread, even as state and federal health officials quarrelled over the measles-associated death tally — differing over how deaths should be classified. State officials have recorded more than 1,200 cases and over 240 hospitalisations in 42 counties so far this year. This spike in cases has raised concerns in neighbouring US states.
On October 5, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency in response to rising cases in rural areas, expanding the number of health professionals authorised to vaccinate and test people for measles. But experts warn that the risks extend far beyond US state borders. The US resurgence comes as measles cases increase globally, particularly in communities that are vaccine-sceptical or where there are gaps in healthcare access.
Vaccination coverage among US kindergartners has decreased from 95.2 percent during the 2019-2020 school year to 92.4 percent in the 2025-2026 school year. Experts warn that declining vaccination rates in one geographic location can leave people thousands of miles away vulnerable, making measles prevention a shared global responsibility. Pennsylvania reported in August that two unvaccinated people died of measles in Lancaster County, which is located in the South Central part of the state.
Lancaster is considered the centre of Pennsylvania Dutch Country and home to the nation’s oldest Amish and Mennonite communities, both of which have under-vaccinated populations. In Pennsylvania, public health officials have worked with community leaders to share information and expand access to vaccination. Joshua Good, principal of Ephrata Mennonite School in Lancaster County, where two students contracted measles earlier this year, worked with state officials to organise a pop-up vaccination clinic at the school.
He said officials also provided communication materials that the school adapted for its community and helped identify at-risk families. While Good said the response was productive, he told state officials that the Mennonite community still holds a lot of vaccine scepticism. They made the decision based on their own best judgement,” he told Al Jazeera.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
