Measles Is Back, and 3 People Are Dead
3,294 cases, the worst US measles year in modern history, and 3 people are dead
The United States has confirmed 3,294 measles cases so far in 2026. The full year of 2025, itself a record, produced 2,289. Pennsylvania has had 676 of those cases and has just recorded three measles-associated deaths: the first in the state in 35 years. Not one of the 676 people who fell ill had received both recommended MMR doses. The vaccine works. Fewer people are taking it.
US measles cases in 2026 (to September 10)
3,294 confirmed
US measles cases for all of 2025 (previous record year)
2,289
US states and jurisdictions reporting cases in 2026
47 of 50
Pennsylvania cases across 37 counties
676
PA cases in people who received both MMR doses
0 out of 676
PA cases requiring hospitalisation
124 (18%)
Deaths linked to measles in Pennsylvania in 2026
3
Previous Pennsylvania measles death before 2026
35 years ago
Lancaster County: where herd immunity collapsed
Pennsylvania's outbreak is concentrated in Lancaster County, home to the largest Amish settlement in the United States. Of the county's measles cases, virtually all fall within what health officials call the "plain community." Coverage surveys estimate that roughly 25% of the Amish population is vaccinated against measles. Statewide, Lancaster County kindergarten MMR coverage has fallen from 95.5% in 2017 to 87.6% in 2025. The threshold for herd immunity against measles is 95%. Measles is the most contagious pathogen in medical literature: one infected person can transmit to nine of ten unvaccinated contacts in the same room. Below 95% coverage, clusters of susceptible people are large enough to sustain chains of transmission indefinitely. Two of the deaths were Lancaster County infants. A third death, a 40-year-old unvaccinated woman, was confirmed by Jefferson County coroner on September 12, 2026. All three were unvaccinated.
"Our hearts go out to the Lancaster County families grieving the loss of their family members. The measles virus spreads quickly and easily to anyone who is not immune. If you are not protected or immune, you are at risk.
"Dr. Debra Bogen · Pennsylvania Secretary of Health
A federal dispute over counting the dead
The deaths became politically charged within days. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. questioned whether the Lancaster County infant deaths were "altogether fabricated" and accused Governor Shapiro of staging the announcement for political purposes. The CDC, under Kennedy's department, excluded the Pennsylvania deaths from its national tally, posting a note saying "available information does not establish whether measles caused or contributed to the deaths." Shapiro accused Kennedy of spreading vaccine misinformation. After the Lancaster County coroner confirmed the second infant death directly resulted from measles, Kennedy walked back his challenge to that specific case. The CDC's national dashboard continued to list zero 2026 measles deaths as of September 10, while the state of Pennsylvania had confirmed three. Kennedy cited the absence of NCHS death records, a lag that typically runs months behind reported state data.
95% coverage is herd immunity. The US is at 92.4%.
The MMR vaccine provides 97% protection against measles after two doses. The national kindergarten MMR coverage rate has fallen to 92.4%, below the 95% minimum needed for herd immunity. Exemption rates now exceed 5% in nearly half of all US states, according to the CDC. Pennsylvania has responded with 130 pop-up vaccination clinics since the outbreak began in late April, administering over 4,300 MMR doses. In August alone, providers statewide gave more than 46,000 MMR doses, nearly double the typical monthly average of 25,000. The vaccine remains free at most providers. Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. The 2026 caseload, at more than 3,200 confirmed infections in nine months, represents a structural reversal of that elimination, not a single-source outbreak. Cases span 47 jurisdictions.
"Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and do not fully understand the potential severity of the illness.
"Dr. Debra Bogen · Pennsylvania Secretary of Health
Two MMR doses. That is all. The vaccine has a 97% efficacy rate confirmed across decades. Zero of Pennsylvania's 676 confirmed cases occurred in fully vaccinated individuals. The MMR schedule calls for the first dose at 12 to 15 months and the second at 4 to 6 years. Coverage checks are available through your primary care provider or local health department.
