Two unvaccinated people die of measles in Pennsylvania

What the report says

Two people who had not been vaccinated against measles have died in Pennsylvania, according to state health officials. BBC World News reported that the deaths occurred in Lancaster County, where the county’s kindergarten-age vaccination rate is about 85%, below the 95% level usually considered necessary for herd immunity. The state said it has recorded 393 measles cases this year.

The article said the fatalities come as measles cases across the United States have reached their highest level in 35 years, with 2,777 confirmed cases reported in 2026 as of late August. BBC World News also noted that measles was once considered eliminated in the US, but falling vaccination coverage and rising vaccine hesitancy have helped drive renewed spread.

Pennsylvania Health Secretary Debra Bogen said in a statement that the deaths were a painful loss and stressed that the MMR vaccine remains the best protection against measles, according to the report. The health department did not release identifying details about the people who died.

The BBC added wider context, including that measles outbreaks have also caused deaths elsewhere in the US, and that federal vaccine policy has become more politically contested in recent months. Public health experts have warned that continued declines in vaccination could complicate efforts to preserve the country’s measles-elimination status, which is under review later this year.