Pennsylvania reports fourth measles death as outbreak widens
A fourth measles-related fatality was confirmed in Pennsylvania, bringing the state's death toll to four and highlighting a surge in cases amid declining vaccination rates.
Pennsylvania health officials confirmed a fourth death linked to measles, involving a 40-year-old unvaccinated woman from Mifflin County. The state has recorded 693 cases across 38 counties this year, while the CDC reports more than 3,200 cases nationwide.
The Pennsylvania Secretary of Health, Dr. Debra Bogen, said, "My thoughts are with the two families who lost loved ones to this highly-contagious virus, as Pennsylvania faces the worst measles outbreak in more than three decades. We remain committed to working with our partners across Pennsylvania to stem this outbreak and prevent more deaths. That means ensuring people have the facts about measles and access to the MMR vaccine."
Governor Josh Shapiro described the deaths as "tragedies" and noted that the outbreak is the most severe in the country, emphasizing that measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 but is now resurging due to lower vaccination rates.
The MMR vaccine, approved in 1963, provides about 97% protection after two doses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency also warns that measles can lead to hospitalization in roughly one in five unvaccinated individuals, with complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis and, in rare cases, death.
The recent fatalities have sparked a dispute over how measles deaths are recorded. The CDC has not listed any measles deaths for 2026, and its new director, Dr. Erica Schwartz, said the agency lacked sufficient information to confirm the cause in earlier Pennsylvania cases. The disagreement has fueled political tension, with Governor Shapiro criticizing Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for spreading vaccine misinformation, and Kennedy responding by accusing Shapiro of politicizing the outbreak.