Wisconsin records first measles death in decades as U.S. reports third fatality this week
An infant in Wisconsin died from measles, marking the state's first measles-related death since 1990 and the third U.S. fatality reported this week, amid a rise in cases nationwide.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services confirmed Thursday that an infant died of measles, the first measles-related death in the state since 1990. The death follows a measles-associated fatality reported on Wednesday in Pennsylvania and another in New York on Monday, bringing the U.S. total to three deaths this week and eight this year, the highest toll since 1991.
State officials said the infant was unvaccinated, and a coroner listed measles as the immediate cause of death. Dr. Stephanie Schauer, immunization program director for Wisconsin, noted that some transmission chains began when residents traveled out of state for events such as funerals and weddings. The department now recommends an early measles vaccine dose for infants as young as six months who face increased exposure risk, and has administered about 500 of those early doses since August.
Vaccination coverage among Wisconsin kindergarteners stands at roughly 85%, below the national average of 92% and the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity. "We can actually eliminate transmission of measles in the community by getting enough people vaccinated," said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, state epidemiologist for communicable diseases. The health department has dispatched an additional 2,000 measles vaccine doses to local agencies in recent months.
Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 4,852 measles cases this year, more than double the previous year's count and the most since 1991. The CDC attributes the increase partly to declining vaccination rates. Two doses of the measles vaccine are about 97% effective.
Pennsylvania's outbreak, which began in April, remains the largest in the country with nearly 1,500 cases across 45 counties. While a coroner in Franklin County reported a possible measles-linked death last month, the state health department has not yet confirmed it as measles-associated.
Measles has been classified as eliminated in the United States since 2000, meaning the virus no longer circulates continuously, though occasional outbreaks occur. The Pan American Health Organization will convene next week to consider whether the U.S. should retain its elimination status. The CDC notes that measles can be especially severe for infants and young children, with a mortality rate of 1 to 3 per 1,000 infected children due to respiratory and neurological complications.