Pennsylvania confirms fifth measles-associated death as US outbreak grows

What the report says

Pennsylvania has confirmed a fifth measles-associated death this year as the state’s outbreak continues to spread, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The latest case involved an unvaccinated Lancaster County resident who tested positive for measles and died, with the state saying the death was reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The announcement comes as Pennsylvania’s case total nears 1,000, with 943 confirmed infections across 39 counties and at least 176 hospitalizations reported so far in 2026.

Al Jazeera reported that the latest death is the third linked to measles in Lancaster County this year. The county is in south-central Pennsylvania and includes communities with lower vaccination coverage, including Amish and Mennonite populations. State officials said the outbreak has more than doubled since August, when Pennsylvania first reported two measles-associated deaths, the first such deaths in the state in 35 years.

The growing outbreak has prompted expanded vaccination campaigns and public health outreach under Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration. Pennsylvania health officials said more than 53,000 MMR vaccine doses were given statewide in September, more than twice the usual monthly total. Public health experts generally say two doses of the MMR vaccine are highly effective at preventing measles.

The report also noted an ongoing dispute between Shapiro and US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr over how measles deaths are counted, while Pennsylvania continues to request additional federal help with outbreak response.